No book can replace the diagnostic expertise and medical advice of a trusted physician. Please be certain to consult with your doctor before making any decisions that affect your health, particularly if you suffer from any medical condition or have any symptoms that may require treatment.
任何书籍都无法取代值得信赖的医生的诊断专业知识和医疗建议。在做出任何影响您健康的决定之前,请务必咨询您的医生,尤其是在您患有任何疾病或出现任何可能需要治疗的症状时。
Some names have been changed for anonymity.
为保护隐私,部分人名已作更改。
Copyright © 2025 by SBloom Advisory Inc.
版权所有 © 2025 SBloom Advisory Inc.
Penguin Random House values and supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader. Please note that no part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner for the purpose of training artificial intelligence technologies or systems.
企鹅兰登书屋珍视并支持版权。版权激发创造力,鼓励多元声音,促进言论自由,并创造充满活力的文化。感谢您购买本书正版授权版本,并遵守版权法,未经许可不得以任何形式复制、扫描或传播本书任何部分。您的支持不仅惠及作家,也使企鹅兰登书屋能够继续为所有读者出版书籍。请注意,本书任何部分均不得以任何方式用于训练人工智能技术或系统。
All rights reserved.
版权所有。
Published in the United States by Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.
本书由纽约企鹅兰登书屋旗下兰登书屋的Ballantine Books出版。
Ballantine Books & colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.
Ballantine Books 和版权标识是 Penguin Random House LLC 的注册商标。
Images © Sahil Bloom
图片 © Sahil Bloom
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
美国国会图书馆出版物编目数据
Names: Bloom, Sahil, author.
姓名:布鲁姆,萨希尔,作者。
Title: The 5 types of wealth: a transformative guide to design your dream life / Sahil Bloom.
标题:5 种财富:设计梦想生活的变革指南 / Sahil Bloom。
Other titles: Five types of wealth
其他标题:五种财富
Description: First edition. | New York: Ballantine Books, [2025] |
简介:第一版。| 纽约:Ballantine Books 出版社,[2025] |
Identifiers: LCCN 2024050105 (print) | LCCN 2024050106 (ebook) | ISBN 9780593723180 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780593723197 (ebook)
标识符:LCCN 2024050105(印刷版)| LCCN 2024050106(电子书)| ISBN 9780593723180(精装本)| ISBN 9780593723197(电子书)
Subjects: LCSH: Success. | Wealth. | Happiness. | Self-realization.
主题:LCSH:成功 | 财富 | 幸福 | 自我实现
Classification: LCC BF637.S8 B55 2025 (print) | LCC BF637.S8 (ebook) | DDC 158—dc23/eng/20241122
分类:LCC BF637.S8 B55 2025(印刷版)| LCC BF637.S8(电子书)| DDC 158—dc23/eng/20241122
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024050105
国会图书馆记录可在以下网址查阅:https://lccn.loc.gov/2024050105
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2024050106
国会图书馆电子书记录可在以下网址获取:https://lccn.loc.gov/2024050106
International edition ISBN 9780593983522
国际版 ISBN 9780593983522
Ebook ISBN 9780593723197
电子书 ISBN 9780593723197
randomhousebooks.com
Book design by Caroline Cunningham, adapted for ebook
书籍设计:Caroline Cunningham,改编为电子书
Watercolor swash: AdobeStock/Elena Panevkina
水彩晕染:AdobeStock/Elena Panevkina
Cover design: Lucas Heinrich
封面设计:卢卡斯·海因里希
ep_prh_7.1a_150122614_c0_r0
ep_prh_7.1a_150122614_c0_r0
Prologue: The Journey of a Lifetime
序言:一生的旅程
设计你的梦想生活
1. One Thousand Years of Wisdom: What Advice Would You Give to Your Younger Self?
1. 一千年的智慧:你会给年轻的自己什么建议?
2. 五种财富
3. 财富评分
4. The Life Razor: Keeping the Earth in the Window
4. 生命剃刀:将地球留在窗外
5. Your True North: Climbing the Right Mountain
5. 你的真正方向:攀登正确的山峰
时间财富
6. The Big Question: How Many Moments Do You Have Remaining with Your Loved Ones?
6. 大问题:你还有多少时间可以和你的亲人在一起?
7. 时间简史
8. The Three Pillars of Time Wealth
8. 时间财富的三大支柱
9. The Time Wealth Guide: Systems for Success
9. 时间财富指南:成功系统
10. 总结:时间财富
社会财富
11. The Big Question: Who Will Be Sitting in the Front Row at Your Funeral?
11. 最重要的问题:谁将坐在你葬礼的前排?
12. The Uniquely Social Species
12. 独特的社会性物种
13. The Days Are Long but the Years Are Short: Parents, Kids, and Lost Time
13. 时光荏苒,岁月如梭:父母、孩子与逝去的时光
14. The Three Pillars of Social Wealth
14. 社会财富的三大支柱
15. The Social Wealth Guide: Systems for Success
15. 社会财富指南:成功体系
16. 总结:社会财富
精神财富
17. The Big Question: What Would Your Ten-Year-Old Self Say to You Today?
17. 大问题:十岁的你会对今天的你说什么?
18. 一个古老的故事
19. The Three Pillars of Mental Wealth
19. 精神财富的三大支柱
20. The Mental Wealth Guide: Systems for Success
20. 《精神财富指南:成功体系》
21. 总结:精神财富
实物财富
22. The Big Question: Will You Be Dancing at Your Eightieth Birthday Party?
22. 大问题:你会在八十岁生日派对上跳舞吗?
23. The Story of Our Lesser World
23. 我们小世界的故事
24. The Three Pillars of Physical Wealth
24. 物质财富的三大支柱
25. The Physical Wealth Guide: Systems for Success
25. 物质财富指南:成功之道
26. 总结:实物财富
金融财富
27. The Big Question: What Is Your Definition of Enough ?
27. 大问题:你对“足够”的定义是什么?
28. The Financial Amusement Park
28. 金融游乐园
29. The Three Pillars of Financial Wealth
29. 金融财富的三大支柱
30. The Financial Wealth Guide: Systems for Success
30. 《财务财富指南:成功体系》
31. 总结:金融财富
结论:信仰的飞跃
致谢
笔记
指数
For my wife, Elizabeth, and my son, Roman.
献给我的妻子伊丽莎白和我的儿子罗曼。
With the two of you by my side, I always feel like the wealthiest man alive.
有你们两个在我身边,我总觉得自己是世界上最富有的人。
“You’re going to see your parents fifteen more times before they die.”
“在你父母去世之前,你还能再见到他们十五次。”
All of what follows is the story of how those simple words changed my life—and how they may change yours.
接下来讲述的就是这几句话如何改变了我的人生,以及它们如何改变你的人生。
On a warm California evening in May 2021, I sat down for a drink with an old friend. As we settled in at our table, he asked how I was doing. At first, I gave him the standard response that we’ve all grown so accustomed to: “I’m good. Busy!” I said it with all the unintended irony of the modern era, where busy is a badge of honor, as if being more stressed is something to be proud of. When I asked the same of him, instead of replying with typical busyness one-upmanship, he replied that he was “making time for the important things,” since his father had gotten sick the prior year. The unexpected vulnerability in his words knocked me off the typical conversation track that defines these “catch-up” encounters. He had opened a new track, and rather than resist, I walked down it, adding that living in California had begun to wear on me, it being so far from my aging parents on the East Coast.
2021年5月一个温暖的加州夜晚,我和一位老朋友坐下来喝一杯。我们刚在桌边落座,他就问我近况如何。起初,我像往常一样回答:“我很好,就是忙!” 这句话里带着现代社会特有的讽刺意味,仿佛忙碌是一种荣誉的象征,压力大反而是件值得骄傲的事。当我问他同样的问题时,他并没有像往常那样炫耀自己的忙碌,而是说他正在“抽出时间做重要的事情”,因为他父亲去年生病了。他话语中流露出的意外的脆弱,让我从这种“叙旧”聚会中惯常的谈话模式中抽离出来。他开启了一个新的话题,我没有抗拒,而是顺着这个话题继续聊下去,补充说,住在加州让我感到有些疲惫,因为这里离我年迈的父母在东海岸太远了。
This rare emotional honesty sparked the interaction that altered the course of my life:
这种罕见的坦诚情感引发了一次改变我人生轨迹的互动:
Friend: How often do you see your parents?
朋友:你多久见一次父母?
Me: Maybe once a year right now.
我:目前可能一年一次吧。
Friend: And how old are they?
朋友:他们多大了?
Me: Mid-sixties.
我:六十多岁。
Friend: Okay, so you’re going to see your parents fifteen more times before they die.
朋友:好吧,所以你还能在父母去世前再见他们十五次。
Gut punch.
晴天霹雳。
I had to take a deep breath to avoid an instinctively angry response. This was an old friend, one who knew my parents well. It wasn’t meant to be insensitive—it was just…math. The average life expectancy is approximately eighty years; my parents were in their mid-sixties, and I saw them once per year. The math said I would see them fifteen more times before they were gone.
我深吸一口气,才勉强压下心中的怒火。这是位老朋友,很了解我的父母。他并非有意冒犯——只是……算数而已。平均寿命大约是八十岁;我的父母六十多岁,我每年见他们一次。按这个推算,在他们离世之前,我还能再见他们十五次。
This was the math that broke me. It was the math that changed my life.
正是这门数学让我崩溃,也正是这门数学改变了我的一生。
I was born of an unlikely collision of two worlds—a rejection of common convention is in my DNA. In 1978, my mother, Lakshmi Reddy, born and raised in Bangalore, India, hopped on a plane with a one-way ticket to study at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Her parents were, understandably, worried that she’d never come home. Their friends told them she’d meet an American guy, fall in love, and build a life in that faraway land. They were right.
我出生于两个截然不同的世界碰撞之中——不拘泥于常规早已融入我的基因。1978年,我的母亲拉克希米·雷迪(Lakshmi Reddy)在印度班加罗尔出生长大,她买了一张单程机票,登上了飞往美国马萨诸塞州南哈德利的霍利奥克山学院(Mount Holyoke College)的飞机。她的父母担心她一去不返,这完全可以理解。他们的朋友告诉他们,她会遇到一个美国男人,坠入爱河,然后在那个遥远的国度建立自己的生活。朋友们说得没错。
My father, born and raised in a Jewish household in the Bronx, New York, had a life mapped out for him by his overbearing father, one that involved marrying a Jewish girl and settling down for a stable career in academia. Fortunately for me, fate (if you believe in that) had different plans.
我的父亲出生并成长于纽约布朗克斯区的一个犹太家庭,他那专横的父亲为他规划好了人生道路:娶一位犹太姑娘,然后在学术界谋求一份稳定的职业。幸运的是,命运(如果你相信命运的话)另有安排。
In a made-for-the-movies twist, they crossed paths in 1980 at a Princeton University library, where my mother was working to pay her way through a master’s program and my father was in the final stages of writing his dissertation. Her parents’ concerns nine thousand miles away, my mother worked up the courage to ask him on a date. As they enjoyed their ice cream, my father, never one to beat around the bush, told her, “My family will never accept us.” My mother, too blinded by excitement at the use of the word us, completely missed the message.
就像电影情节一样,1980年,他们在普林斯顿大学图书馆相遇。当时,我母亲正在那里打工,挣钱攻读硕士学位,而我父亲正处于论文写作的最后阶段。尽管父母远在九千英里之外,母亲还是鼓起勇气约他出去。两人一边吃着冰淇淋,一边聊天。父亲向来直言不讳,他告诉母亲:“我的家人永远不会接受我们。” 母亲当时被“我们”这个词冲昏了头脑,完全没听懂父亲话里的意思。
Sadly, he was right; for a variety of reasons that seem impossible to understand today, my father’s family was not accepting of the budding courtship. The fight grew so contentious that he was ultimately forced to choose between his family and my mother. I never met my father’s parents, and he never saw them again, but the legacy of his decision—to choose true love above all else—set the stage for the world that I was born into.
可惜,他的预感是对的;由于种种如今看来难以理解的原因,我父亲的家人并不接受这段萌芽的恋情。这场争执愈演愈烈,最终他被迫在家人和我母亲之间做出选择。我从未见过父亲的父母,他也再未与他们见过面,但他当初选择真爱的决定——将真爱置于一切之上——却为我出生的世界奠定了基调。
My childhood and young-adult years were a steady, monotonous march toward a textbook definition of success . I did well in school—maybe not according to my discerning Indian mother, who continues to this day to ask, “Why not try for medical school?”—but my thoughts were always on the baseball field. With some natural ability and a hell of a lot of hard work, I earned a scholarship to pitch at Stanford University. I’ll never forget the look on my mother’s face when I told her the news. Her disbelief that her ne’er-do-well, always-playing-never-studying son had been accepted to Stanford was priceless.
我的童年和青年时期,就像一条单调乏味的步履,稳步迈向教科书式的成功之路。我在学校成绩不错——或许我那眼光独到的印度母亲并不这么认为,她至今仍会问我:“为什么不试试读医学院呢?”——但我满脑子想的都是棒球。凭借着一些天赋和不懈的努力,我赢得了斯坦福大学的棒球奖学金。我永远不会忘记我告诉母亲这个消息时的表情。她难以置信,她那个游手好闲、整天只顾玩乐从不学习的儿子竟然被斯坦福录取了,那表情真是无价之宝。
I flew out to California with dreams of a glory-filled career in professional baseball, but when a junior-year shoulder injury derailed those aspirations, I was forced to find my footing in the classroom and plan for an alternative future. The problem was that I had no idea what future I wanted to build.
我怀揣着职业棒球生涯的辉煌梦想飞往加利福尼亚,但大三那年肩伤粉碎了我的梦想,我不得不重新适应学业,并为未来寻找新的方向。问题是,我根本不知道自己想要怎样的未来。
To try to solve that puzzle, I did what I thought any ambitious young person would do—I went to the richest people I knew and asked them about their work and how I could get into it. I vividly recall a formative conversation with a family friend who had made a fortune in the world of investing. He suggested I join an investment firm straight out of school, and his case was simple: “You’ll make a hundred thousand dollars a year right away, five hundred thousand a year soon after that, and by the time you’re thirty, you’ll be making more money than you know what to do with.” That sounded pretty damn good to me on the basis of one simple, foundational assumption: Money will lead directly to success and happiness.
为了解开这个谜题,我做了我认为任何一个雄心勃勃的年轻人都会做的事——我去找我认识的最富有的人,问他们关于他们的工作以及如何才能进入这个行业。我至今仍清晰地记得与一位在投资界发家致富的世交的一次意义深远的谈话。他建议我毕业后直接加入一家投资公司,他的理由很简单:“你马上就能年入十万美元,不久之后就能年入五十万美元,到三十岁的时候,你的钱就会多到花不完。”这听起来确实很诱人,而其依据仅仅是一个简单的基本假设:金钱会直接带来成功和幸福。
To be clear, I’m not sure when I formally adopted that understanding as my own. My father was in academia and my mother was a small-business owner—we always had enough, but we certainly weren’t rich, particularly not on a “making more money than you know what to do with” measuring stick. When I was a kid, I had one very rich friend. He had an incredible house, all the newest toys, and he was constantly getting the latest and greatest sports equipment. I was envious of his life. I never questioned whether all that stuff actually made him happy—whether he would trade the chef-prepared dinner he ate alone for a takeout meal at a table surrounded by love . I proceeded to attend college with high achievers who frequently measured status by who got the highest offer from Goldman Sachs or McKinsey, so it’s safe to say my foundational assumption about the nature of success and happiness was firmly entrenched by the time I was ready to enter the real world.
说实话,我不确定自己是什么时候正式接受这种观念的。我父亲是学者,母亲是小企业主——我们家境殷实,但绝对算不上富有,尤其不是那种“钱多到花不完”的富裕。小时候,我有个非常富有的朋友。他住着豪宅,拥有所有最新款的玩具,而且总是能买到最新最好的运动器材。我羡慕他的生活。我从未质疑过这些东西是否真的能让他快乐——他是否愿意放弃独自享用厨师精心烹制的晚餐,去换成和家人朋友一起享用外卖。后来,我上了大学,身边都是些成绩优异的学生,他们常常以谁能从高盛或麦肯锡拿到最高offer来衡量社会地位。所以,可以说,当我真正踏入社会时,我对成功和幸福本质的根本性认知已经根深蒂固了。
Mark Twain is often quoted as having said, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Well, when I took the advice of my family friend and accepted a job in California where I would earn well into the six figures in my first year, I knew for sure that this was the beginning of my road to the good life—that if I put in my time, I’d eventually reach that stress-free future filled with money and happiness.
人们常引用马克·吐温的一句话:“让你陷入困境的不是你不知道的事情,而是你确信无疑但实际上并非如此的事情。” 当我听从一位世交的建议,接受了加州一份工作,第一年就能轻松赚到六位数时,我确信这将是我美好生活的开始——只要我肯努力,最终就能拥有一个充满财富和幸福的无忧未来。
What I knew for sure just wasn’t so; I simply hadn’t realized it yet.
我之前确信的事情其实并非如此;我只是还没有意识到这一点。
By the time I turned thirty, I had achieved every marker of what I believed success looked like. I had the high-paying job, the title, the house, the car—it was all there. But beneath the surface, I was miserable. I began to think something was wrong with me. I had spent years with my head down, embracing the long hours, believing that the idyllic land of success was well within reach. At every step along the way, I told myself that I was just one bonus, one promotion, or one fancy bottle of wine away from arriving in that land.
三十岁那年,我实现了自己心目中成功的所有标准。高薪工作、显赫的头衔、房子、车子——一切都应有尽有。然而,在光鲜亮丽的外表下,我却痛苦不堪。我开始怀疑自己是不是出了什么问题。多年来,我一直埋头苦干,忍受着长时间的工作,坚信成功的理想之地近在咫尺。每一步,我都告诉自己,我离梦想的彼岸只差一笔奖金、一次晋升,或者一瓶名贵的葡萄酒。
Then, one day, I realized I had achieved all of it, and all I could think was Is this it?
然后有一天,我意识到我已经实现了这一切,我当时唯一的想法就是:这就是全部吗?
The arrival fallacy is the false assumption that reaching some achievement or goal will create durable feelings of satisfaction and contentment in our lives. We incorrectly assume that we will finally experience the sensation of having arrived when we reach whatever we have propped up as our destination. I was thirty years old and making millions of dollars. I had arrived. But the feelings of happiness and fulfillment I expected were nowhere to be found. Instead, I just felt that familiar dread of needing to do more, of never having enough.
到达谬误是指一种错误的假设,即达到某种成就或目标就能在生活中带来持久的满足感和幸福感。我们错误地认为,当我们到达自己设定的终点时,就会体验到“到达”的感觉。我三十岁,年收入数百万美元。我觉得自己已经成功了。但我期待的幸福和满足感却无处寻觅。取而代之的是那种熟悉的恐惧:总觉得需要做得更多,永远都觉得不够。
I’m willing to bet I’m not the only person who’s had this experience. How many times has the thing your younger self dreamed of become the thing you complain about once you’ve gotten it? The house you longed for becomes the house you grumble is too small, the house in need of repairs. The car you obsessed over becomes the car you can’t wait to trade in, the car that’s constantly in the shop. The engagement ring that made your eyes sparkle becomes the ring you need to upgrade because of its imperfections.
我敢打赌,经历过这种事的人绝不止我一个。有多少次,你小时候梦寐以求的东西,到了拥有之后却成了你抱怨的对象?你渴望的房子,变成了你抱怨太小、需要修缮的房子;你曾经痴迷的车,变成了你迫不及待想要换掉、总是进修理厂的车;让你眼前一亮的订婚戒指,变成了因为瑕疵而需要升级的戒指。
Worse yet, the incessant quest for more had blinded me to the great beauty of what I had right in front of me. In a fable recorded in Plato’s early works, a philosopher named Thales of Miletus is walking along obsessively gazing at the stars, only to fall into a well that he did not see at his feet. A poetic retelling by Jean de La Fontaine concludes,
更糟糕的是,对更多东西的无休止追求蒙蔽了我的双眼,使我看不到眼前的美好。柏拉图早期著作中记载了一则寓言:一位名叫泰勒斯的哲学家边走边痴迷地凝视着星空,结果掉进了脚下那口他没看到的井里。让·德·拉封丹的诗意重述总结道:
How many folks, in country and in town,
Neglect their principal affair;
And let, for want of due repair,
A real house fall down,
To build a castle in the air? [1]
有多少乡城居民,疏于照管房屋,任由房屋因疏于维护而倒塌,却去建造空中楼阁?[1]
I was chasing that castle in the air, blind to the reality that I was allowing my real house to fall down: My health had deteriorated from my lack of sleep and activity, my relationships suffered from my absent energy, and, as my friend’s piercing math had made clear, my time with those I loved most was depressingly finite and quickly slipping away.
我一直在追逐空中楼阁,却对现实视而不见,任由自己的房子轰然倒塌:睡眠不足、缺乏运动导致健康状况恶化,精力匮乏导致人际关系紧张,而且,正如我朋友一针见血的计算所表明的那样,我与最爱的人相处的时间令人沮丧地有限,并且正在迅速流逝。
My exclusive pursuit of money was slowly, methodically robbing me of a fulfilling life.
我对金钱的执着追求,正在慢慢地、有条不紊地剥夺我充实的生活。
Sitting there on that warm May evening, polishing off several more drinks after my friend left, I knew for sure that something had to change. I had prioritized one thing at the expense of everything.
五月那个温暖的夜晚,朋友离开后,我又喝了几杯,独自坐在那里,心里清楚必须做出改变。我把一件事看得太重,却忽略了其他一切。
From the outside looking in, I was winning, but if this was what winning felt like, I began to wonder if I was playing the wrong game.
从旁观者的角度来看,我赢了,但如果这就是胜利的感觉,我开始怀疑自己是不是玩错了游戏。
The greatest discoveries in life come not from finding the right answers but from asking the right questions.
人生中最伟大的发现并非来自找到正确的答案,而是来自提出正确的问题。
If I had been playing the wrong game, what was the right one?
如果我玩错了游戏,那么什么才是正确的游戏?
This question was where my journey to discovery began. I had to define the right game, the one that would actually lead to the life I wanted. I read everything I could get my hands on—hundreds of books and tens of thousands of pages—that might help me make sense of the maze I found myself in: ancient self-help classics and modern self-help hits. Biographies of great men and women throughout history. Religious texts, epics from a diverse array of cultures, and legendary tales of the hero’s journey.
这个问题开启了我的探索之旅。我必须找到真正适合自己的游戏,一个能引领我走向理想生活的游戏。我阅读了所有能找到的书籍——成百上千册,数万页——希望能从中找到出路,解开我身处的迷宫:古代的自助经典和现代的畅销自助书籍;历史上伟人的传记;宗教典籍;来自不同文化的史诗;以及英雄之旅的传奇故事。
But reading, I found, can take you only so far—to understand something deeply human, you need to immerse yourself in the human experience.
但我发现,阅读只能带你到一定程度——要理解深刻的人性,你需要让自己沉浸在人类的体验中。
I had conversations with people from all walks of life. I sought them out. I flew to them. I sat with them. I listened to them. From recent college graduates to CEOs of Fortune 100 companies. From stay-at-home parents to those working multiple jobs to make ends meet. From professional athletes living out of suitcases to ski bums and digital nomads. From life coaches and spiritual guides to factory workers and auto mechanics. I became a student of the human experience.
我与各行各业的人交谈。我主动寻找他们,飞到他们身边,与他们促膝长谈,倾听他们的心声。从应届大学毕业生到世界百强企业的CEO,从全职父母到身兼数职勉强糊口的人,从四处奔波的职业运动员到滑雪爱好者和数字游民,从人生导师和精神导师到工厂工人和汽车修理工,我成为了人类经验的探索者。
I spent hours with a man who was reeling from the recent loss of his wife, which had left him alone with their young daughter as he navigated the waves of grief; he shared his profound understanding of the greater depths of love accessible to us all. I grew close to a twenty-eight-year-old who, on the verge of starting his dream job, was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor that derailed his plans and forced him to reset his expectations to an entirely new baseline. I spoke with a new mother navigating the difficult balance of career and maternal ambitions, her CEO title and responsibilities weighing heavily on her desire to be a deeply present figure in her son’s life. I interviewed a man recently released after a twenty-five-year prison sentence and was engrossed by his words on the dynamic, fluctuating nature of time and how his pursuit of a higher-order spiritual purpose had provided him with the stability to endure. I met a forty-six-year-old barber who grinned as he told me, “I can pay my bills and I take my girls on two vacations a year. If you ask me, I’m a rich man.” I shared a meal with a ninety-year-old woman who had recently decided to take up painting and who smiled broadly as she told me that the creativity and community were life-giving for her. I spoke to countless young people who were deciding how to navigate their early career years, wrestling with the tension of family and societal expectations against their personal path of meaning. I sat with a father who had tragically lost his twin boys but who, amid the incomprehensible sadness, had found healing and even joy in daily walks in nature.
我花了几个小时陪伴一位刚刚失去妻子的男士,他独自一人带着年幼的女儿,在悲痛的浪潮中挣扎。他分享了他对爱的深刻理解,这种爱是每个人都能拥有的。我与一位28岁的年轻人建立了深厚的友谊,他即将开始梦寐以求的工作,却被诊断出患有无法手术的脑瘤,这打乱了他的计划,迫使他重新审视自己的人生。我与一位新晋母亲交谈,她努力在事业和母亲的责任之间找到平衡,身为首席执行官的她肩负着重任,却又渴望成为儿子生命中重要的陪伴者。我采访了一位刚刚结束25年刑期的男子,他讲述的时间变幻莫测,以及他对更高层次精神追求如何为他提供坚韧的力量,这些都深深地打动了我。我遇到一位四十六岁的理发师,他咧嘴一笑,告诉我:“我能支付账单,每年还能带女儿们去度假两次。要我说,我是个富翁。” 我和一位九十岁的老太太共进晚餐,她最近决定开始画画,脸上洋溢着灿烂的笑容,告诉我绘画的创造力和社群精神让她重获新生。我与无数年轻人交谈,他们正努力规划职业生涯的早期阶段,在家庭和社会期望与个人人生意义之间挣扎。我与一位痛失双胞胎儿子的父亲促膝长谈,他在难以承受的悲痛中,通过每日的自然漫步找到了慰藉,甚至找到了快乐。
In each conversation, I walked through a beautiful visualization exercise that had been recommended to me by a mentor. Close your eyes and imagine your ideal day at eighty years old (or one hundred, in the case of the ninety-year-old!). Vividly imagine it. What are you doing? Who are you with? Where are you? How do you feel? The exercise forces you to begin with the ideal future end in mind—it establishes a personal definition of a successful life that can be used to reverse-engineer the actions in the present to achieve that desired end.
在每次谈话中,我都会引导大家进行一个非常棒的想象练习,这是我的导师推荐给我的。闭上眼睛,想象一下你八十岁时(或者一百岁时,如果你九十岁的话!)最理想的一天。尽可能生动地想象。你在做什么?和谁在一起?你在哪里?感觉如何?这个练习能让你从理想的未来状态出发——它能帮你建立起对成功人生的个人定义,并以此为依据,反向推导出当下应该采取哪些行动才能最终实现这个目标。
Through this exercise, and through the hundreds of books and thousands of hours of conversations filled with smiles, tears, laughter, and silence, I arrived at a powerful realization:
通过这项练习,以及阅读数百本书和进行数千小时充满微笑、泪水、欢笑和沉默的对话,我得出了一个深刻的结论:
We all want the same thing—and it has very little to do with money.
我们都想要同样的东西——而这与金钱关系不大。
From the young entrepreneur to the old retiree, from the new mother to the empty nester, from the rich attorney to the middle-class teacher, the ideal future end looks remarkably aligned:
从年轻的创业者到年长的退休人士,从新晋妈妈到空巢老人,从富有的律师到中产阶级教师,理想的未来结局看起来惊人地一致:
Time, people, purpose, health.
时间、人、目标、健康。
Without fail, every single person I guided through the exercise had some combination of these pillars at the center of the ideal future day. Spending time surrounded by loved ones, engaged in activities that create purpose and growth, healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
无一例外,我指导过的每一个人,他们理想中的未来一天的核心都包含以下几个要素:与亲人共度时光,参与有意义、能带来成长的活动,身心健康。
Money was an enabler to these ends, but not an end in and of itself.
金钱是实现这些目标的手段,但金钱本身并不是目标。
With this realization, it hit me: I wasn’t playing the wrong game, I was playing the game wrong.
意识到这一点后,我恍然大悟:我不是玩错了游戏,而是玩错了游戏。
The scoreboard was the problem.
问题出在记分牌上。
Our scoreboard is broken. It forces us into a narrow measurement of wealth, success, happiness, and fulfillment entirely defined by money. And what you measure matters. In a famous articulation often attributed to Peter Drucker, the Austrian-born management guru, “What gets measured gets managed.” The statement implies that the metrics that get measured are the ones we prioritize. In other words, the scoreboard is important because it dictates our actions—how we play the game.
我们的衡量标准出了问题。它迫使我们用金钱来狭隘地衡量财富、成功、幸福和满足感。而衡量什么至关重要。正如奥地利裔管理大师彼得·德鲁克那句名言所说:“凡是能被衡量的,就能被管理。” 这句话暗示着,我们优先考虑的指标就是那些被衡量的指标。换句话说,衡量标准之所以重要,是因为它决定了我们的行动——决定了我们如何参与这场游戏。
Your broken scoreboard may say you’re winning the battle—but trouble awaits:
你那破损的记分牌或许显示你赢得了这场战斗——但麻烦还在后头:
Your time slips through your fingers.
时间就这样从指缝间溜走了。
Your relationships show cracks.
你们的关系出现了裂痕。
Your purpose and growth wither.
你的目标和成长正在消逝。
Your physical vitality atrophies.
你的身体机能逐渐衰退。
Broken scoreboard, broken actions. If we measure only money, all of our actions will revolve around it. We’ll play the game wrong.
错误的计分板,错误的行动。如果我们只用金钱来衡量一切,我们的所有行动都会围绕着它展开。我们会玩错游戏。
If we fix the scoreboard to measure our wealth more comprehensively, our actions will follow. We’ll play the game right. Right scoreboard, right actions.
如果我们调整衡量财富的标准,使其更加全面,我们的行动也会随之改变。我们会正确地参与这场游戏。正确的衡量标准,带来正确的行动。
With this insight in mind, I began a journey to build a new tool with which we could measure our lives, one grounded in the timeless pillars that had appeared again and again across my readings, conversations, and experiences: time, people, purpose, health. It wasn’t enough to know that these pillars were important; I needed a way to measure them—a way to track my progress and assess the impact of my daily actions toward building them.
带着这样的感悟,我开始着手打造一款全新的工具,用来衡量我们的人生。这款工具以我阅读、交谈和经历中反复出现的永恒支柱为基础:时间、人际关系、目标和健康。仅仅知道这些支柱的重要性还不够;我需要一种方法来衡量它们——一种能够追踪我的进展并评估我日常行动对构建这些支柱的影响的方法。
This book is the manifestation of that journey.
这本书正是这段旅程的体现。
Whoever you are and wherever you are in life, this book is for you:
无论你是谁,无论你身处人生的哪个阶段,这本书都适合你:
The recent graduates wrestling with how to prioritize their careers in the context of everything else in life. The new mothers struggling to balance career ambitions with the desire to be present in their children’s early years. The retirees contemplating how to spend the last third of their lives. The seasoned executives beginning to question if the sacrifices are worth it. The immigrants grappling with the career opportunities of a new country and its distance from family. The young fathers navigating their prime career years as their kids grow up. The rising corporate stars feeling the tension between the required long hours and a desire to meet a life partner. The middle-aged empty nesters pondering how to build a new phase of life together.
应届毕业生们苦苦思索如何在人生百态中平衡事业与家庭。新晋妈妈们努力在事业抱负与陪伴孩子成长之间找到平衡。退休人士思考如何度过人生的最后三分之一。资深高管们开始质疑,这些牺牲是否值得。移民们努力适应新国家的职业机遇,同时还要面对与家人分离的挑战。年轻的父亲们在孩子成长的同时,努力平衡事业的黄金时期。冉冉升起的职场新星们在长时间的工作与寻找人生伴侣的渴望之间挣扎。中年空巢老人则在思考如何共同开启人生的新篇章。
While the lens through which you view the stories, questions, and frameworks in this book will be unique, the tools are universal.
虽然你看待本书中的故事、问题和框架的视角是独一无二的,但其中的工具却是普遍适用的。
The 5 Types of Wealth offers a new way to measure the right things, make better decisions, and design your journey to wealth, success, happiness, and fulfillment. Importantly, it also provides a guide to the high-leverage principles, ideas, systems, and frameworks that will enable you to progress toward these goals.
《五种财富类型》提供了一种衡量正确事物、做出更明智决策并规划通往财富、成功、幸福和满足感之路的新方法。更重要的是,它还提供了一套高效的原则、理念、系统和框架指南,助您朝着这些目标迈进。
This will be a journey—but it’s one that you can start today and one that can change your world faster than you ever thought possible.
这将是一段旅程——但你可以从今天开始,而且它会以你从未想象过的速度改变你的世界。
In one week, you can jump-start your actions. In one month, you can see and feel the impact. In one year, everything will be different.
一周之内,你就能迅速启动行动。一个月之内,你就能看到并感受到影响。一年之内,一切都将截然不同。
Your entire life can change in one year. Not ten, not five, not three. One. One year of asking the right questions. One year of measuring and prioritizing the right things. One year of focused, daily effort on the right actions.
你的人生可以在一年内彻底改变。不是十年,不是五年,也不是三年。就是一年。一年的时间,去问对问题。一年的时间,去衡量和优先处理正确的事情。一年的时间,去专注于每天采取正确的行动。
Trust me, I’ve lived it.
相信我,我亲身经历过。
In May 2021, I was silently miserable, my broken scoreboard and priorities slowly marching me toward the point of no return.
2021 年 5 月,我默默地感到痛苦,我糟糕的成绩和错误的优先事项正慢慢地将我推向无法挽回的境地。
In one week, I had jump-started my actions. My wife and I had the deep, painful conversations about how we wanted to measure our lives, and we aligned on the priorities and values that would guide us going forward.
一周之内,我便迅速行动起来。我和妻子进行了深入而痛苦的对话,探讨我们希望如何衡量我们的人生,并就指导我们未来发展的优先事项和价值观达成了一致。
In one month, I could see and feel the impact. I had made the difficult yet important decision to embark on a new professional journey built around my higher-order purpose of creating a positive impact. I reprioritized my health, focusing on the boring basics of movement, nutrition, and sleep. Most important, my wife and I sold our house in California and started our move to the East Coast to be closer to our parents, a decision that turned “You’re going to see your parents fifteen more times before they die” from a harsh reality into a memory of a former life.
一个月后,我便能感受到这种变化带来的影响。我做出了一个艰难却又至关重要的决定:开启一段全新的职业生涯,围绕着我更高层次的目标——创造积极的影响。我重新审视了自己的健康,专注于那些看似枯燥乏味的基本要素:运动、营养和睡眠。最重要的是,我和妻子卖掉了在加州的房子,开始搬到东海岸,以便离父母更近。这个决定让“你只能在他们去世前再见他们十五次”这句话,从残酷的现实变成了遥远的回忆。
In one year, everything was different—my entire life had changed. My new energy-creating entrepreneurial endeavors were thriving, and I had the freedom to go for multiple daily walks, find time for a robust health routine, and focus on the projects and people that brought me joy. And while we had struggled to conceive in California, soon after arriving in our new home in New York, we were blessed with the news that my wife was pregnant. She gave birth to our son, Roman, on May 16, 2022. As we returned from the hospital and pulled onto our street, I saw both sets of Roman’s grandparents cheering in the driveway, our family all there to welcome him home—to welcome us home.
一年之内,一切都变了——我的生活彻底改变了。我充满活力的创业项目蓬勃发展,我有了自由,可以每天多次散步,抽出时间进行规律的健康锻炼,并专注于那些让我快乐的人和事。虽然我们在加州一直努力备孕,但搬到纽约新家后不久,我们就迎来了妻子怀孕的喜讯。2022年5月16日,她生下了我们的儿子罗曼。当我们从医院回到家,驶入自家街道时,我看到罗曼的祖父母和外祖父母都在车道上欢呼雀跃,我们全家都在那里迎接他回家——也迎接我们回家。
On a warm Friday afternoon that month, I was out on a walk with Roman when an old man approached me on the sidewalk. He said, “I remember standing here with my newborn daughter. Well, she’s forty-five now. It goes by fast—cherish it.” It hit me hard. The next morning, I woke up and brought my son into bed. My wife was still peacefully asleep. It was early, and the first glimmers of the spring sun were starting to slip through our bedroom window. I looked down at my son, whose eyes were closed, a small, perfectly content smile on his lips. In that moment, I had a profound sensation: I had arrived, but for the first time in my life, there was nothing more that I wanted.
那月一个温暖的星期五下午,我和罗曼一起散步,一位老人在人行道上走过来。他说:“我记得我刚出生的女儿也曾站在这里。现在她都四十五岁了。时间过得真快——好好珍惜吧。” 这句话深深触动了我。第二天早上,我醒来后把儿子抱到床上。妻子还在熟睡。天还很早,春日的第一缕阳光透过卧室的窗户洒了进来。我低头看着儿子,他闭着眼睛,嘴角挂着一个满足的微笑。那一刻,我心中涌起一股强烈的感受:我已抵达人生的终点,但这是我生命中第一次感到如此满足,别无所求。
This was enough.
这样就足够了。
Never let the quest for more distract you from the beauty of enough.
永远不要让对更多事物的追求分散你对“足够”之美的感知。
My name, Sahil, means “the end of the journey.” For me, this book marks the end of my first journey, all made possible because I rejected the broken scoreboard and centered my life on the new one. In the pages that follow, I will show you how to do the same.
我的名字萨希尔(Sahil)意为“旅程的终点”。对我而言,这本书标志着我第一段旅程的结束,而这一切的实现,源于我摒弃了旧有的成败观念,并将生活重心放在了新的目标上。在接下来的篇章中,我将向你展示如何做到这一点。
It is the journey of a lifetime. I hope you enjoy it.
这是一段毕生难忘的旅程。希望您享受其中。
In late 2022, I asked this question to a dozen eighty- and ninety-year-olds as part of my annual birthday ritual. Every year, I conduct a new and (hopefully) interesting exercise that will push me to think and grow. In past years, I had written gratitude letters to all my family and friends, gone on a twelve-hour silent walk, and attempted my version of a misogi challenge (a Japanese ritual that involves doing something so challenging on one day that it has lasting benefits for the rest of the year).
2022年底,我像往年生日一样,向十几位八九十岁的老人提出了这个问题。每年,我都会进行一项新的、(希望)有趣的活动,以促使自己思考和成长。往年,我会给所有家人和朋友写感谢信,进行十二小时的静默漫步,还会尝试我自己版本的“味噌挑战”(一种日本习俗,指在某一天完成一项极具挑战性的事情,从而获得一整年的益处)。
But 2022 felt different.
但2022年感觉不一样了。
The birth of my son in May had altered my relationship with the most fundamental reality: time. Observing the passage of time—both in his daily changes and in the juxtaposition of the newness of his life with the suddenly apparent maturity of my parents’ lives—had left me wrestling with its very nature.
五月份儿子的出生改变了我与最基本现实——时间——之间的关系。观察时间的流逝——既包括他每天的变化,也包括他生命的新鲜感与我父母突然显露的成熟生活之间的对比——让我开始思考时间的本质。
I decided to explore the wisdom that time has to offer by talking with those who had experienced much more of it. My younger, naïve self had sought advice from the richest people he knew when charting his life course. My older, (slightly) more enlightened self would seek advice from the wisest people he knew to do the same. I wondered how older people would reflect on what they had learned. What did they regret? Where had they been led astray? What had brought them lasting joy and fulfillment? What detours had proven to be better than the original route? What had they known for sure that just wasn’t so?
我决定与那些阅历更丰富的人交谈,探寻时间赋予的智慧。年轻懵懂的我曾向身边最富有的人寻求人生规划的建议。如今,略显成熟睿智的我,也会向身边最有智慧的人请教同样的问题。我很好奇,年长者会如何反思他们的人生经历?他们有哪些遗憾?他们曾误入歧途?什么给他们带来了持久的快乐和满足?哪些迂回的路线最终证明比原定路线更好?他们曾经笃信不疑的事情,如今看来又有哪些是谬误?
What did they know at ninety that they wished they’d known at thirty?
他们在九十岁时知道的哪些事情,是他们希望在三十岁时就知道的?
I had these conversations with a diverse and fascinating group. A video call with my ninety-four-year-old grandmother in India, born a princess of a small kingdom prior to her family being run out by the British colonists, yielded this beautiful insight: “Never fear sadness, as it tends to sit right next to love.” An email from a ninety-eight-year-old family friend who had spent his career as a Hollywood writer yielded a personal favorite: “Never raise your voice, except at a ball game.” His eighty-eight-year-old wife, a former soap opera star whom he had met on set and fallen desperately in love with, added, “Find dear friends and celebrate them, for the richness of being human is in feeling loved and loving back.” In a text message, the eighty-year-old father of a close friend expressed regret over his body’s deterioration over the years: “Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another seventy years.” He added, “If something has a minor issue, repair it. Minor issues become major issues over time. This applies equally to love, friendships, health, and home.” A ninety-two-year-old who had recently lost his beloved wife of seventy years said something that brought tears to both of our eyes, his poetic ode to their evening practice: “Tell your partner you love them every night before falling asleep; someday you’ll find the other side of the bed empty and you’ll wish you could tell them.” My last conversation was with the ninety-four-year-old great-aunt of one of my dearest friends, and she delivered this beautiful closing insight: “When in doubt, love. The world can always use more love.”
我与一群背景各异、魅力非凡的人进行了这些对话。我与身在印度的94岁祖母进行了一次视频通话,她出生于一个小王国,曾是那里的公主,后来她的家族被英国殖民者驱逐。通话中,她分享了一句至理名言:“永远不要害怕悲伤,因为它往往与爱相伴。”一位98岁的老朋友曾是好莱坞的编剧,他的一封邮件中,我听到了一句我非常喜欢的话:“除了在球赛上,永远不要大声说话。”他88岁的妻子,一位曾在肥皂剧片场与他相识并深深爱上的前明星,补充道:“找到挚友,珍惜他们,因为人生的真谛在于感受爱并去爱。”一位挚友80岁的父亲在短信中表达了对身体日渐衰弱的遗憾:“把你的身体当作一座你还要居住70年的房子来对待。”他补充道:“如果某件事只是小问题,那就去解决它。小问题会随着时间推移变成大问题。这同样适用于爱情、友谊、健康和家庭。”一位九十二岁的老人,最近失去了相伴七十年的爱妻,他的一番话让我们俩都热泪盈眶。他用诗意的语言吟诵着他们每晚的习惯:“每晚睡前告诉你的伴侣你爱他/她;总有一天你会发现床的另一边空无一人,你会多么希望还能告诉他/她。”我最后一次谈话的对象是我一位挚友的九十四岁姑婆,她留下了这段美好的感悟:“当你感到迷茫时,就去爱。这个世界永远需要更多的爱。”
The responses ranged from playful and witty (“Dance at weddings until your feet are sore”) to deeply moving (“Never let a good friendship atrophy”). Some were common tropes repeated over the years (“Always remind yourself that your track record for making it through your bad days is perfect”); others were original and thought-provoking (“Regret from inaction is always more painful than regret from action”). The wisdom I gathered was the product of 1,042 years of lived experience.
大家的回复五花八门,从轻松诙谐的(“在婚礼上跳舞跳到脚酸为止”)到感人至深的(“永远不要让美好的友谊消逝”)。有些是多年来反复出现的老生常谈(“永远要提醒自己,你度过难关的记录是完美的”);另一些则新颖独特,发人深省(“不作为的后悔永远比行动后的后悔更痛苦”)。我所收集的这些智慧,源于我1042年的人生阅历。
I hadn’t steered the dialogue in any way—I had simply posed the question and let each of them take it as they wished. They had independently focused on a variety of things: build lasting relationships, have fun, invest in your future mental and physical wellness, raise well-adjusted kids, and more. There was certainly immense value in what I heard but perhaps even more value in what I didn’t. In all the advice, insight, and wisdom shared, there was a notable omission.
我并没有引导对话——我只是提出了问题,让他们各自思考。他们各自关注的方面五花八门:建立长久的人际关系、享受生活、投资未来的身心健康、培养身心健全的孩子等等。我听到的内容固然很有价值,但或许我没听到的内容更有价值。在所有这些建议、见解和智慧中,有一个明显的遗漏。
No one mentioned money.
没有人提到钱。
Before we go any further, I want to make an important point: This book will not argue that money doesn’t matter, that you should give up your worldly possessions, go live as a monk in the Himalayas, and spend sixteen hours a day meditating in silence. If you want to do that, great, but I won’t be joining you!
在我们继续之前,我想先强调一点:这本书并不是要你放弃世俗的财富,去喜马拉雅山当僧侣,每天花十六个小时静默冥想。如果你想那样做,很好,但我不会和你一起!
Money isn’t nothing —it simply can’t be the only thing .
金钱并非一无是处——但它绝不可能是唯一的东西。
Three core insights summarize the body of research on the topic of money and happiness:
关于金钱与幸福这一主题的研究成果可概括为以下三个核心观点:
Money improves overall happiness at lower levels of income by reducing fundamental burdens and stress. At these lower levels, money can buy happiness.
金钱可以通过减轻基本负担和压力,提升低收入人群的整体幸福感。在这些低收入水平下,金钱可以买到幸福。
If you have an income above these levels and are unhappy, more money is unlikely to change that.
如果你的收入高于这些水平,但仍然不快乐,那么更多的钱不太可能改变这种情况。
If you have an income above this baseline and are happy, more money is unlikely to drive increasing happiness.
如果你的收入高于这个基准线并且感到快乐,那么更多的钱不太可能带来更大的幸福感。
The second and third insights point to the same critical conclusion: Once you’ve achieved a baseline level of financial well-being, more money is unlikely to meaningfully affect your overall happiness. In other words, the default scoreboard—focused on money—may be a useful asset in the earliest days of your journey, but it is a liability when you’re attached to it in the later days. Arthur Brooks, a bestselling author, a professor at Harvard Business School, and a leading authority on happiness science, agrees. “When it comes to money and happiness, there is a glitch in our psychological code.” [1] He argues that this glitch is driven by our flawed extrapolation of the early-in-life happiness gains from increases in income—that we experience some of the positive impact of money on our well-being as children and young adults and then spend the rest of our lives “[salivating] in anticipation of good feelings when the bell of money rings.”
第二和第三个洞见都指向同一个关键结论:一旦你的财务状况达到一定水平,更多的金钱不太可能对你的整体幸福感产生实质性的影响。换句话说,以金钱为中心的默认衡量标准,在你人生的早期阶段或许是一笔有用的财富,但如果你过早地执着于此,它就会成为一种负担。畅销书作家、哈佛商学院教授、幸福科学领域的权威专家亚瑟·布鲁克斯对此表示赞同。“在金钱和幸福之间,我们的心理机制存在一个缺陷。”[1] 他认为,这个缺陷源于我们对早期生活中收入增长带来的幸福感的错误推断——我们在童年和青年时期体验到金钱对幸福感的积极影响,然后余生都在“渴望金钱带来的愉悦感”。
The glitch keeps us on a metaphorical treadmill, always running, never getting anywhere, chasing the early-in-life happiness that money once provided.
这种故障让我们一直处于一种比喻意义上的跑步机上,不停地奔跑,却永远无法到达任何地方,追逐着金钱曾经带来的早年幸福。
In a 2018 paper published by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, researchers asked a group of millionaires (1) how happy they were on a scale of 1 to 10 and (2) how much more money they would need to get to a 10 on the happiness scale. Commenting on the results, Norton said, “All the way up the income-wealth spectrum basically everyone says [they’d need] two to three times as much.” [2]
哈佛商学院教授迈克尔·诺顿在 2018 年发表的一篇论文中,研究人员询问了一群百万富翁:(1) 他们目前的幸福程度(1 到 10 分)是多少;(2) 他们还需要多少钱才能达到 10 分的幸福感。诺顿在评论结果时说:“基本上,从收入到财富的各个阶层,每个人都表示他们需要两到三倍的钱。”[2]
I decided to test this notion by asking a group of financially successful people I knew to answer those same two questions. The responses were surprisingly consistent: A technology app founder worth thirty million dollars said he would need two times more to be perfectly happy; a software entrepreneur worth one hundred million said he would need five times more; a venture investor worth three million said she would need three times more. With the exception of one enlightened investor worth twenty-five million who replied, “Honestly, I’m happy where I am” (although he added, “But if I had twice as much, I could probably fly private a lot more, which would be nice”), everyone up and down the net-worth spectrum said that two to five times more money was all they needed to reach the land of perfect happiness.
我决定验证这个观点,于是向我认识的一群经济条件优渥的人询问了这两个问题。他们的回答出奇地一致:一位身价三千万美元的科技应用创始人表示,他需要两倍的财富才能感到完全幸福;一位身价一亿美元的软件企业家表示,他需要五倍的财富;一位身价三百万美元的风险投资人表示,她需要三倍的财富。除了一位身价两千五百万美元、颇具远见的投资人回答说:“说实话,我对现状很满意”(尽管他补充道:“但如果我的财富翻倍,我大概就能更频繁地乘坐私人飞机了,那也很不错”)之外,所有身价高低不同的人都表示,两到五倍的财富就足以让他们达到完全幸福的境界。
I’ll never forget a conversation I had with a friend who had recently sold his manufacturing company and made one hundred million dollars. I asked if he was happier now than he’d been, given that he was richer than most people could imagine, expecting him to say, Of course! His response surprised me. He told me that after he closed the deal, he had taken a group of friends and family for a weeklong trip on a rented yacht to celebrate. He was excited for the moment when everyone would board the beautiful vessel, which he had paid for with his hard-earned sale proceeds. But when everyone arrived, something peculiar happened. One of his friends looked over to the next mooring where an even bigger and more luxurious yacht was docked and commented, “Whoa, I wonder who’s in that one!” The happiness and satisfaction that my friend had felt around the moment quickly deflated at the comparison.
我永远不会忘记和一位朋友的对话。他最近卖掉了自己的制造公司,赚了一亿美元。我问他,现在是不是比以前更快乐了,毕竟他比大多数人想象的还要富有,我以为他会说“当然啦!”。但他的回答却出乎我的意料。他告诉我,交易完成后,他租了一艘游艇,带着一群亲朋好友去庆祝,为期一周。他很期待大家登上这艘漂亮的游艇,这艘游艇是他用辛苦赚来的钱租的。但当大家都到了之后,发生了一件奇怪的事。他的一个朋友望向隔壁泊位,那里停泊着一艘更大更豪华的游艇,说道:“哇,我倒想知道那艘船上是谁!” 我朋友刚才感受到的快乐和满足感,在这样的比较下瞬间消失殆尽。
There’s always going to be a bigger boat.
总会有更大的船。
Through the notable omission of money by the wise elders, the scientific research on money and happiness, and the anecdotal accounts from financially successful people, we can derive the most important lesson, the one that sits at the heart of this book:
通过睿智的长者们对金钱的刻意回避、关于金钱与幸福的科学研究,以及来自财务成功人士的轶事,我们可以得出最重要的教训,这也是本书的核心所在:
Your wealthy life may be enabled by money, but in the end, it will be defined by everything else.
金钱或许能让你过上富裕的生活,但最终,它是由其他一切因素决定的。
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading.
—Lao Tzu
如果你不改变方向,最终可能会到达你正在前往的地方。——老子
In the third century B.C., King Pyrrhus of Epirus rose to power as the little-known leader of an expanding territory in Greece. A second cousin of Alexander the Great, he developed a reputation as a strong and strategic military leader. By 280 B.C., he had waged successful wars all over the peninsula and consolidated his power across much of the region.
公元前三世纪,伊庇鲁斯国王皮洛士崛起,成为希腊境内一个鲜为人知的扩张领土的统治者。作为亚历山大大帝的远房表弟,他以其强大的军事才能和战略眼光而闻名。到公元前280年,他已在希腊半岛各地发动了多场胜利的战争,并巩固了其在该地区大部分地区的统治。
But his military fortune would soon change.
但他的军旅生涯很快就会发生改变。
In 280 B.C., King Pyrrhus received a request for support from the southern Italian city-state of Tarentum, which was at war with the Roman Republic. While Tarentum was not an explicit ally, King Pyrrhus recognized the threat that an expanding Roman Republic would pose to his power. Seizing upon the idea that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” he sailed to southern Italy with his large and well-trained army, ready to beat back the Roman invaders.
公元前280年,罗马国王皮洛士收到来自意大利南部城邦塔兰托的求援请求。当时,塔兰托正与罗马共和国交战。尽管塔兰托并非罗马的盟友,但皮洛士国王意识到罗马共和国的扩张将对其统治构成威胁。他秉持着“敌人的敌人就是朋友”的理念,率领庞大且训练有素的军队远航至意大利南部,准备击退罗马的入侵者。
The battle, which was fought on a plain near the town of Heraclea, was initially quite lopsided, with King Pyrrhus’s forces overwhelming the ragtag Roman army, whose generals had clearly been expecting to walk over their tiny Tarentum foe.
这场战斗发生在赫拉克利亚镇附近的一片平原上,起初战况相当一边倒,皮洛士国王的军队压倒了衣衫褴褛的罗马军队,罗马的将领们显然以为可以轻松击败他们弱小的塔兰托敌人。
The Romans rallied, however, and pushed back to great effect, staining the plain red with days of bloody hand-to-hand combat. By the end of the battle, King Pyrrhus was able to declare victory, but at an exceptionally high cost, losing many of his best soldiers, including his lead general.
然而,罗马人重整旗鼓,奋起反击,取得了巨大的胜利,连日来血腥的近身肉搏将平原染成了血红色。战役结束时,皮洛士国王宣布胜利,但付出了极其惨重的代价,损失了许多精锐士兵,包括他的主力将领。
Despite the losses, King Pyrrhus sensed an opportunity to extend the influence of his kingdom into southern Italy, and he decided to press forward, engaging the Roman enemy for the second time near the town of Asculum.
尽管遭受了损失,但皮洛士国王意识到有机会将他的王国的影响力扩展到意大利南部,于是他决定继续前进,在阿斯库卢姆城附近第二次与罗马敌人交战。
Yet again, King Pyrrhus was able to declare victory, but only after days of painful combat that left his army physically and mentally decimated. At the end of the battle, King Pyrrhus is said to have exclaimed, “Another such victory and we are undone!” His hand effectively forced by the cost of these “victorious” battles, King Pyrrhus of Epirus withdrew from Italy and returned home, where he would wage a few inconsequential campaigns before dying in relative obscurity in battle five years later.
然而,皮洛士国王再次宣布胜利,但这是经过数日艰苦卓绝的战斗后才取得的,他的军队身心俱疲。据说,战斗结束后,皮洛士国王惊呼:“再来一次这样的胜利,我们就完了!” 这些“胜利”的代价迫使皮洛士国王撤出意大利,返回故乡。此后,他又进行了几次无关紧要的战役,五年后在战场上默默无闻地死去。
But it’s not all bad for King Pyrrhus, whose desire to leave a legacy led him into those ill-fated battles against the Romans. His name indeed does live on, though perhaps not in the way he intended.
但对于皮洛士国王来说,也并非全是坏事。他渴望名垂青史,却因此卷入了与罗马人之间那些注定失败的战争。他的名字的确流传了下来,尽管或许并非以他所期望的方式。
The term Pyrrhic victory now refers to the victory won at such a steep cost to the victor that it feels like a defeat. The victory damages the victor beyond repair. He wins the battle but loses the war.
“惨胜”一词如今指的是以极其惨重的代价换来的胜利,胜利者感觉就像是失败。这种胜利给胜利者造成了无法弥补的伤害。他赢得了这场战役,却输掉了整场战争。
This is not just a random history lesson. This is important: A Pyrrhic victory is what you need to avoid in your own life. And unfortunately, a Pyrrhic victory could be where you’re headed if you don’t change direction.
这并非一堂随意的历史课。它意义重大:你必须在自己的生活中避免惨胜。不幸的是,如果你不改变方向,惨胜很可能就是你的最终归宿。
You’re walking this perilous path because of one simple mistake: You’re measuring the wrong thing.
你之所以走上这条危险的道路,是因为一个简单的错误:你衡量错了东西。
Money.
钱。
When a measure of performance becomes an explicit, stated goal, humans will prioritize it, regardless of any associated and unintended consequences. You blind yourself to everything else, focusing on the single measure, no matter the costs elsewhere. Every new promotion, pay raise, and bonus feels like a win as you ignore the painful losses of a war slowly slipping through your fingers. Money has become not only the measure but the explicit, stated goal.
当绩效衡量标准变成一个明确的、既定的目标时,人们会优先考虑它,而不顾任何相关的、意想不到的后果。你会对其他一切都视而不见,只关注这一个衡量标准,全然不顾其他方面的代价。每一次升职、加薪和奖金都让你感觉像是胜利,而你却忽略了正在慢慢从指缝间溜走的痛苦损失。金钱不仅成了衡量标准,更成了明确的、既定的目标。
The war you wage is about happiness, fulfillment, loving relationships, purpose, growth, and health. If all the battles you’re fighting are exclusively about money, you may win these battles, but you will lose the war.
你所进行的这场战争关乎幸福、成就感、美好的关系、人生目标、成长和健康。如果你所有的战斗都仅仅围绕金钱展开,你或许能赢得这些战斗,但你终将输掉整场战争。
The warning signs on the path don’t involve loss of life and limb like they did for King Pyrrhus, but they aren’t pretty:
路上的警告标志虽然不像皮洛士国王的遭遇那样造成人员伤亡,但也并不好看:
You hit another quarterly profit target but miss another anniversary dinner.
你又一次实现了季度利润目标,却又错过了周年纪念晚餐。
You earn a record bonus but fail to make it to a single one of your child’s sports games.
你获得了一笔创纪录的奖金,却没能去看一场孩子的体育比赛。
You say yes to every single work call but can’t find time to reconnect with an old friend.
你对每一个工作电话都来者不拒,却抽不出时间与老朋友重新联系。
You stay in a job for the security but allow your higher-order purpose to wither and die.
你为了安全感而继续做一份工作,却任由自己更高层次的目标逐渐消亡。
You host five client dinners per week but can’t walk up the stairs without feeling winded.
你每周要招待五位客户晚宴,但走上楼梯却会气喘吁吁。
You never leave money on the table but won’t think twice about leaving your peace of mind there.
你从不放过任何金钱,但你却毫不犹豫地将内心的平静留在身边。
If you march ahead, eyes fixed on the financial horizon, the Pyrrhic victory awaits.
如果你只顾眼前利益,一味追求经济利益,那么等待你的将是惨胜。
Your new scoreboard is the five types of wealth:
你的新计分板是五种财富类型:
Time Wealth
时间财富
Social Wealth
社会财富
Mental Wealth
精神财富
Physical Wealth
实物财富
Financial Wealth
金融财富
Where the old, default scoreboard was entirely based on financial wealth, the new scoreboard is grounded in the diverse pillars that define a truly wealthy existence. With the five types of wealth, you are no longer waiting to arrive, because happiness and fulfillment—previously a hoped-for destination—are embedded in the journey itself. You don’t have to wait to arrive; you can feel like you’ve arrived every single day.
过去,衡量财富的标准完全基于金钱财富;而新的衡量标准则建立在构成真正富足生活的多元支柱之上。有了这五种财富,你不再需要等待抵达终点,因为幸福和满足——曾经是人们期盼的最终归宿——如今已融入旅程本身。你无需等待抵达终点;每一天,你都可以感受到自己已经抵达终点。
This new scoreboard dramatically outperforms the old across three major domains:
新版记分牌在三大主要领域均显著优于旧版:
Measurement: Incorporates all the pillars of a happy, fulfilling existence into your point-in-time measurement, which sets the stage for appropriate actions. Measure the right thing and you’ll take the right actions. Measure for the war and you’ll never lose sight of it amid the chaos of the battles.
衡量:将幸福充实生活的各个支柱融入到你当下的衡量之中,从而为采取恰当的行动奠定基础。衡量正确的事情,你就能采取正确的行动。为战争做好衡量,你就不会在混乱的战斗中迷失方向。
Decision: Provides a dynamic lens through which to evaluate minor and major life decisions. Rather than being narrowly focused on Financial Wealth, you can evaluate a decision based on its impact on all five types of wealth. A daunting decision on the old scoreboard (one that will have a negative impact on Financial Wealth) may prove exciting on the new scoreboard (because it will have a positive impact on several other types of wealth).
决策:提供了一个动态的视角,用于评估生活中大大小小的决策。您不再仅仅关注财务财富,而是可以根据决策对五种财富类型的影响来评估它。在旧的评分体系中看似棘手的决策(会对财务财富产生负面影响),在新的评分体系中可能令人兴奋(因为它会对其他几种财富类型产生积极影响)。
Design: Provides a model for proactive life design that considers your changing priorities across the years and enables you to focus on specific individual battles without sacrificing your victory in the longer-term war. It creates clarity as you evaluate the trade-offs you are willing (and unwilling) to make to prioritize specific areas.
设计:提供了一种积极主动的生活规划模型,它考虑到您多年来不断变化的优先事项,使您能够专注于具体的个人挑战,同时又不影响您在长期目标上的胜利。它能帮助您清晰地评估为了优先考虑特定领域而愿意(或不愿意)做出的权衡取舍。
Each of the five types of wealth are individually important, but it’s the relationships across them—the interplay and prioritization—that are critical in building a comprehensively fulfilling existence.
五种财富各自都很重要,但它们之间的关系——相互作用和优先排序——对于构建全面充实的生活至关重要。
Time Wealth is the freedom to choose how to spend your time, whom to spend it with, where to spend it, and when to trade it for something else. It is characterized by an appreciation and deep understanding of the precious nature of time as an asset—its value and importance. It is the ability to direct deep attention and focus to the highest-leverage activities. It is the control over your time, the ability to establish your own priorities—to set the terms on which you say yes or no to opportunities. If you have a life devoid of Time Wealth, you are trapped in a perpetual loop of busyness, running faster and faster but never making progress, with little control over how time is spent and whom it is spent with.
Social Wealth is the connection to others in your personal and professional worlds—the depth and breadth of your connection to those around you. It is the network you can rely on for love and friendship but also for help in times of need. It provides the texture that allows you to appreciate the other types of wealth. What good is the freedom to control your time if you don’t have anyone special to spend it with? What joys can physical vitality bring if you can’t enjoy physical pursuits with people you love? What satisfaction can money provide if there is no one to dote on? Social Wealth is defined by a few deep, meaningful, healthy relationships and a fulfilling breadth of surface ties throughout your community or culture. If you have a life devoid of Social Wealth, you focus on acquired social status and lack the consequential, weighty relationships that provide lasting satisfaction and joy.
Mental Wealth is the connection to a higher-order purpose and meaning that provides motivation and guides your short- and long-term decision making. It is grounded in a pursuit of growth that embraces the dynamic potential of your intelligence, ability, and character and an engagement in lifelong learning and development. It is the health of the relationship with the mind, the ability to create space to wrestle with the big, unanswerable questions of life, and the maintenance of rituals that support stillness, balance, clarity, and regeneration. If you have a life devoid of Mental Wealth, you live a life of stasis, self-limiting beliefs, stagnation, low-purpose activities, and perpetual stress.
Physical Wealth is your health, fitness, and vitality. Given its grounding in the natural world, it is the most entropic type of wealth, meaning it is more susceptible to natural decay, uncontrollable factors, and blind luck (positive or negative) than other types. Physical Wealth is defined by a focus on the controllable actions around movement, nutrition, and recovery and the creation of consistent habits to promote vigor. If you have a life devoid of Physical Wealth, you lack the discipline to maintain these habits and you are at the mercy of the natural physical deterioration that robs you of enjoyment, particularly in the latter half of life.
Financial Wealth is typically defined as financial assets minus financial liabilities, a figure often referred to as net worth. On your new scoreboard, there is an added nuance: Your liabilities include your expectations of what you need, your definition of enough. If your expectations rise faster than your assets, you will never have a life of true Financial Wealth because you’ll always need more. Financial Wealth is built upon growing income, managing expenses, and investing the difference in long-term assets that compound meaningfully over time. If you have a life devoid of Financial Wealth, you exist on a treadmill of matching inflows and outflows, a never-ending chase for more.
时间财富是指自由选择如何支配时间、与谁共度时光、在哪里度过以及何时用时间换取其他东西。它体现了对时间作为一种资产的珍贵本质的欣赏和深刻理解——它的价值和重要性。它是一种将全部注意力集中于最具价值活动的能力。它是一种对时间的掌控,一种设定自身优先事项的能力——一种决定你对机会说“是”或“否”的条件的能力。如果你的生活缺乏时间财富,你就会陷入一个永无止境的忙碌循环,越跑越快却永远无法取得进展,对如何支配时间以及与谁共度时光几乎没有任何控制权。社交财富是指你在个人和职业领域与他人建立的联系——你与周围人联系的深度和广度。它是你可以依靠的人际网络,既能获得爱和友谊,也能在你需要帮助时获得支持。它为你提供了丰富的内涵,让你能够更好地欣赏其他类型的财富。如果你没有可以与之共度时光的特别的人,那么支配时间的自由又有什么意义呢?如果无法与所爱之人共享运动的乐趣,拥有充沛的体魄又有何意义?如果没有人可以倾注爱心,金钱又有何用?社会财富的定义在于拥有几段深刻、有意义且健康的亲密关系,以及在社群或文化中广泛而充实的人际关系。如果生活中缺乏社会财富,你就会专注于追求社会地位,而忽略了那些能够带来持久满足感和快乐的、意义深远的人际关系。精神财富则是与更高层次的目标和意义相连,它能激励你,并指导你的短期和长期决策。它植根于对成长的追求,这种追求充分发挥你的智力、能力和品格的潜能,并鼓励你终身学习和发展。它关乎你与心灵的健康关系,关乎你创造空间去思考人生中那些重大且无法解答的问题的能力,以及维护那些有助于保持内心平静、平衡、清晰和焕发活力的仪式。如果你的生活缺乏精神财富,你的生活就会停滞不前,充满自我设限的信念,陷入停滞状态,从事着毫无意义的活动,并承受着持续的压力。物质财富指的是你的健康、体能和活力。由于它根植于自然界,因此也是熵值最高的财富类型,这意味着它比其他类型的财富更容易受到自然衰退、不可控因素以及运气(无论是好是坏)的影响。物质财富的定义在于关注围绕运动、营养和恢复的可控行动,并养成促进活力的习惯。如果你的生活缺乏物质财富,你就缺乏维持这些习惯的自律性,并且会任由自然衰老的侵蚀,尤其是在人生的后半程,这种衰退会剥夺你的乐趣。财务财富通常被定义为财务资产减去财务负债,这个数字通常被称为净资产。在你的新财富评估中,还有一个额外的细微差别:你的负债包括你对自身需求的预期,以及你对“足够”的定义。如果你的期望增长速度超过了你的资产增长速度,你将永远无法拥有真正的财务财富,因为你永远都需要更多。财务财富的积累建立在收入增长、支出控制以及将盈余投资于能够随着时间推移产生显著复利的长期资产之上。如果你的生活中缺乏财务财富,你就会陷入进退两难的恶性循环,永无止境地追逐更多。
With these five types of wealth, you have a new scoreboard—one that will allow you to win the battle and the war.
拥有这五种财富,你就拥有了一个新的计分板——一个能让你赢得战斗和战争的计分板。
As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.
—Rumi
当你开始踏上这条路,路自然就会出现。——鲁米
The 5 Types of Wealth is designed to help you thrive within and across the seasons of your life. But thriving does not mean you have to achieve some utopian state of bliss and perfect balance. Thriving is about information and action—understanding the role of each type of wealth, considering the levers to affect it, and acting on the appropriate levers in line with your long-term values and goals.
《五种财富》旨在帮助您在人生的各个阶段蓬勃发展。但蓬勃发展并不意味着您必须达到某种乌托邦式的幸福和完美平衡状态。蓬勃发展关乎信息和行动——了解每种财富的作用,考虑影响财富的因素,并根据您的长期价值观和目标采取相应的行动。
Thriving is not an end state—it is a continuous journey.
蓬勃发展并非终点,而是一个持续的过程。
Your life does not follow a single, steady straight line through time. It ebbs and flows and has natural seasons, each characterized by different wants, needs, priorities, and challenges. Each season must be embraced for the good and the bad. When we embrace the current season, with all its imperfections and opportunities, and when we think of balance on multi-season time horizons, we find a way to thrive.
人生并非一帆风顺,它有起伏跌宕,有四季更迭,每个阶段都有其独特的需求、愿望、优先事项和挑战。我们必须坦然接受每个阶段的种种,无论好坏。当我们接纳当下阶段的种种不完美和机遇,并着眼于跨阶段的时间跨度来寻求平衡时,我们便能找到蓬勃发展之道。
The ideal approach for the foundation-building season of your twenties may not be well suited to the compounding season of your thirties, the family-building season of your forties, the purpose-finding season of your fifties, or the retiree season of your sixties and beyond. Similarly, the ideal approach for your later seasons may not work for your earlier ones. There’s no predetermined guide for this journey. Everyone’s seasons are unique. Everyone’s definition of balance is unique. There are no fixed timelines on which you change, fail, learn, grow, and adapt. There are no requirements; there is no right or wrong.
二十多岁奠定基础的理想方法,未必适用于三十多岁积累财富的阶段、四十多岁组建家庭的阶段、五十多岁寻找人生目标的阶段,或是六十多岁及以后的退休阶段。同样,适用于人生后期阶段的理想方法,也未必适用于人生早期阶段。人生旅程没有预设的指南。每个人的人生阶段都是独一无二的,每个人对平衡的定义也各不相同。你改变、失败、学习、成长和适应的过程,没有固定的时间表。没有硬性规定,也没有对错之分。
You may have a season of professional growth, a season of divorce, a season of readjustment after a family tragedy, a season of inner health, or a season of new love. These five types of wealth will orient you within and across each and every season, through life’s great highs and its most challenging lows—a durable idea that provides value on the micro, zoomed-in level of the present season’s battle as well as on the macro, zoomed-out level of the multi-season war.
你或许会经历事业腾飞的时期、离婚的时期、家庭变故后的重新适应期、内心健康的时期,或是新恋情的时期。这五种财富将指引你度过人生中的每一个阶段,无论高峰还是低谷,都能让你保持方向——这是一个经久不衰的理念,它既能让你专注于当下阶段的挑战,也能让你从宏观的角度思考多阶段的人生博弈。
When you experience a pain, a rock-bottom moment, a tragedy, an end, there is a light that shines through from that darkness. The light is the blinding insight—the aha moment of clarity—that comes through when you see the other side. It’s the light I saw when my old friend told me I would see my parents only fifteen more times before they died. It’s the light an old man sees when he regrets never pursuing his passion in life. It’s the light parents see when their kid no longer wants to get tucked into bed. It’s the light a dying woman sees as she realizes her kids are the only people who remember the late nights she put in at the office.
当你经历痛苦、跌入谷底、遭遇悲剧、经历终结时,黑暗中总会透出一丝光芒。这光芒是令人目眩的顿悟——是恍然大悟的瞬间——当你看到彼岸时,它便会显现。那是我老朋友告诉我,父母离世前我只能再见他们十五次时,我看到的光芒。那是老人后悔从未追求过毕生挚爱时看到的光芒。那是父母看到孩子不再愿意入睡时看到的光芒。那是垂死之人意识到,只有孩子们还记得她曾在办公室熬夜加班时看到的光芒。
It’s the light you hope you never see, the light you eventually will see, the light you need to see now.
这是你希望永远不要看到的光,是你最终会看到的光,也是你现在需要看到的光。
You know the light exists—you even know what it looks like. You hear the stories, nod at the takeaways, and go on living the exact same way.
你知道光的存在——你甚至知道它长什么样。你听过那些故事,点头赞同其中的要点,然后继续过着一成不变的生活。
But to ignore the light is to live in the dark.
但忽视光明就如同生活在黑暗中。
You need to act on the light, embrace what it can bring to your life.
你需要顺应潮流,拥抱它能为你的生活带来的美好。
That is what The 5 Types of Wealth is all about: a new way to measure your life, because when you measure the right thing, you take the right actions and create the best outcomes.
这就是《五种财富》的全部意义所在:一种衡量人生的新方法,因为当你衡量正确的事情时,你就会采取正确的行动,并创造最好的结果。
The journey is just getting started. Allow the light from the other side to shine on the path.
旅程才刚刚开始。让彼岸的光芒照亮前路。
Now start walking.
现在开始走。
Your Wealth Score is your performance on the new scoreboard.
您的财富评分是您在新排行榜上的表现。
Everyone should take the quiz to establish a baseline Wealth Score prior to continuing with the book. This baseline will be what you measure your progress against as you build and balance your life across the seasons to come. You can and should come back to this assessment in the future to track your progress, just as you might once have tracked your financial net worth using an online tool.
在继续阅读本书之前,每个人都应该先完成这份测试,以确定一个基本的财富评分。这个基准将作为你衡量未来生活各个阶段发展和平衡的依据。你可以也应该在未来再次进行这项评估,以追踪你的进展,就像你曾经使用在线工具追踪你的财务净值一样。
To establish your Wealth Score, you take a simple quiz. There are five statements for each type of wealth; for each statement, respond with 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (disagree), 2 (neutral), 3 (agree), or 4 (strongly agree), then add up your score for each section and the total across the sections.
要确定您的财富评分,您需要完成一个简单的测试。每种财富类型都有五个陈述;对于每个陈述,请回答 0(非常不同意)、1(不同意)、2(中立)、3(同意)或 4(非常同意),然后将每个部分的得分相加,再计算所有部分的总分。
The maximum score for each type of wealth is 20 (you strongly agree with each of the five statements), and the maximum score overall is 100.
每种财富的最高得分是 20 分(你非常同意这五个陈述中的每一个),总的最高得分是 100 分。
I have a deep awareness of the finite, impermanent nature of my time and its importance as my most precious asset.
我深刻意识到时间的有限性和无常性,以及时间作为我最宝贵财富的重要性。
I have a clear understanding of the two to three most important priorities in my personal and professional lives.
我清楚地知道在个人生活和职业生涯中最重要的两到三件事。
I am able to consistently direct attention and focus to the important priorities that I have identified.
我能够始终如一地将注意力集中到我确定的重要优先事项上。
I rarely feel too busy or scattered to spend time on the most important priorities.
我很少会因为太忙或精力分散而无法抽出时间处理最重要的事。
I am in control of my calendar and priorities.
我可以自主安排日程和优先事项。
I have a core set of deep, loving, supportive relationships.
我拥有一系列深厚、充满爱和支持的核心人际关系。
I am consistently able to be the partner, parent, family member, and friend that I would want to have.
我始终能够成为自己想要拥有的伴侣、父母、家人和朋友。
I have a network of loose relationships I can learn from and build on.
我拥有一个松散的人脉网络,我可以从中学习并在此基础上发展。
I have a deep feeling of connection to a community (local, regional, national, spiritual, and so on) or to something bigger than myself.
我与某个社群(地方、区域、国家、精神等等)或比我自身更伟大的事物有着深厚的联系感。
I do not attempt to achieve status, respect, or admiration through material purchases.
我不会试图通过购买物质来获得地位、尊重或赞赏。
I regularly embrace a childlike curiosity.
我经常保持着孩子般的好奇心。
I have a clear purpose that provides daily meaning and aligns short- and long-term decision making.
我有一个明确的目标,它赋予我每天的生活意义,并使我的短期和长期决策保持一致。
I pursue growth and consistently chase my full potential.
我追求成长,并不断努力发挥我的全部潜力。
I have a fundamental belief that I am able to continuously change, develop, and adapt.
我坚信自己能够不断改变、发展和适应。
I have regular rituals that allow me to create space to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge.
我有一些固定的仪式,让我能够腾出空间思考、调整状态、思考问题并恢复精力。
I feel strong, healthy, and vital for my age.
就我的年龄而言,我感觉自己身体强壮、健康、充满活力。
I move my body regularly through a structured routine and have an active lifestyle.
我通过规律的运动来锻炼身体,并保持积极的生活方式。
I eat primarily whole, unprocessed foods.
我主要吃天然的、未经加工的食物。
I sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis and feel rested and recovered.
我通常每晚睡七个小时或更长时间,感觉休息充分,精神焕发。
I have a clear plan in place to allow me to physically thrive into my later years.
我已经制定了明确的计划,让我能够在晚年保持良好的身体状态。
I have a clear definition of what it means to have enough financially.
我对经济上的富足有着清晰的定义。
I have income that is steadily growing alongside my skills and expertise.
我的收入随着我的技能和专业知识的提升而稳步增长。
I manage my monthly expenses so that they are reliably below my income.
我合理控制每月支出,确保支出始终低于收入。
I have a clear process for investing excess monthly income for long-term compounding.
我有一套清晰的流程,可以将每月多余的收入进行投资,以实现长期复利增长。
I use my financial wealth as a tool to build other types of wealth.
我利用我的金融财富作为工具来积累其他类型的财富。
Using the results from your quiz, fill in the template to get a unique visual perspective on your baseline. The visual will provide a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in your starting point and allow you to create goals to work toward a life of comprehensive wealth.
根据你的测试结果,填写模板,即可获得关于你自身现状的独特可视化视角。该可视化图表将清晰展现你目前的优势和劣势,并帮助你制定目标,朝着全面财富的目标迈进。
You can also take and share the assessment online at the5typesofwealth.com/quiz .
您也可以在 the5typesofwealth.com/quiz 在线进行和分享评估。
On April 11, 1970, the Apollo 13 mission rocket launched from the John F. Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island, Florida. It was meant to be the third human landing on the moon’s surface, but that plan was derailed just three days into the mission when a short circuit led to an oxygen tank explosion that critically impaired the ship’s ability to complete the round trip back to Earth. The three astronauts—Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swigert—were forced to use the tiny lunar lander as a makeshift space lifeboat, living for multiple days in near-freezing temperatures to conserve power for their hoped-for return home.
1970年4月11日,阿波罗13号任务火箭从佛罗里达州梅里特岛的约翰·F·肯尼迪航天中心发射升空。这次任务原本计划是人类第三次登月,但仅仅三天后,由于短路导致氧气罐爆炸,计划就被迫中止。这次爆炸严重影响了飞船返回地球的能力。三名宇航员——吉姆·洛弗尔、弗雷德·海斯和杰克·斯威格特——被迫将狭小的登月舱当作临时的太空救生艇,在接近冰点的低温下生活了数日,以节省能源,期盼着能够顺利返回地球。
The entire saga was detailed in Apollo 13, Ron Howard’s 1995 Academy Award–winning docudrama. In the climactic scene of the film, the three astronauts are faced with an impossible challenge, one with life-and-death consequences. As they approach atmospheric reentry, they are told by the mission operators that achieving the appropriate angle is essential—too shallow and their ship will skip off into space like a rock off a pond; too steep and their ship will ignite like a piece of dry kindling in a fire. To avoid these fates, they have to burn the engines and execute a correction to get themselves onto an optimal course and ensure their survival.
整个故事在朗·霍华德1995年荣获奥斯卡金像奖的纪录片《阿波罗13号》中得到了详尽的描述。在影片的高潮部分,三位宇航员面临着一项生死攸关的挑战。当他们接近大气层重返时,任务操作员告诉他们,找到合适的角度至关重要——角度太浅,飞船会像水面上的石头一样弹跳着飞向太空;角度太陡,飞船会像干柴一样在火中燃烧。为了避免这些悲剧,他们必须关闭引擎,进行修正,使飞船进入最佳航线,确保自身安全。
The problem: Given the state of the impaired ship, the correction must be manual, without benefit of the onboard computers usually used for such a maneuver. Without the computers managing the series of complex math and physics equations that govern orientation and alignment in space, the move is risky at best and doomed at worst.
问题在于:鉴于这艘受损飞船的状况,修正操作必须手动完成,无法借助通常用于此类操作的船载计算机。由于计算机无法处理一系列控制飞船在空间中姿态和方向的复杂数学和物理方程,这种操作充其量是冒险的,最坏的情况则是注定失败。
In a moment of chaos, Commander Jim Lovell (played by Tom Hanks) proposes a solution: “Now, look, Houston, all we need to hold attitude is one fixed point in space. Is that not correct?”
在一片混乱之中,指挥官吉姆·洛弗尔(汤姆·汉克斯饰演)提出了一个解决方案:“听着,休斯顿,我们只需要太空中的一个固定点就能保持姿态。难道不是吗?”
He receives a quick affirmative reply from the mission command center. Holding the controls and peering out a small triangular window to his left, Lovell slowly moves the spaceship, and a familiar blue planet comes into view.
他很快收到了任务指挥中心的肯定回复。洛弗尔握着操纵杆,透过左侧的小三角窗向外望去,缓缓移动着飞船,一颗熟悉的蓝色星球出现在眼前。
“Well, Houston, we’ve got one,” he says, staring intently at the Earth in the center of the small triangle. “If we can keep the Earth in the window, fly manually, the co-ax crosshairs right on its terminator. All I have to know is how long do we need to burn the engine.”
“好了,休斯顿,我们找到目标了,”他一边说着,一边目不转睛地盯着小三角形中心的地球。“如果我们能把地球保持在视野范围内,手动飞行,同轴十字准星就能正好对准晨昏线。我只需要知道发动机需要燃烧多久。”
The bold strategy works, and the astronauts execute the daring manual burn and successfully reenter the atmosphere at the appropriate angle. They splash down in the ocean safely in one of the most heartwarming and dramatic movie endings of all time.
大胆的策略奏效了,宇航员们成功执行了手动点火,并以合适的角度重返大气层。他们安全溅落在海洋中,上演了影史上最感人、最扣人心弦的结局之一。
It was a historic final scene of survival and triumph that wowed audiences around the world, but the real insight from the scene has nothing to do with the movie, space, science, or even Tom Hanks.
这是一个具有历史意义的生存与胜利的最终场景,震撼了全世界的观众,但这一场景的真正意义与电影、太空、科学,甚至汤姆·汉克斯都无关。
The real insight has everything to do with the Earth and that tiny triangular window.
真正的洞见与地球和那个小小的三角形窗口息息相关。
In the study of philosophy, the term razor denotes any principle that allows you to quickly remove unlikely explanations or avoid unnecessary steps. It allows you to metaphorically shave away unneeded explanations or actions. Today, the term is broadly applied as a rule of thumb that simplifies decision making.
在哲学研究中,“剃刀”一词指的是任何能够帮助你快速排除不太可能的解释或避免不必要步骤的原则。它能让你形象地刮掉不必要的解释或行动。如今,这个词被广泛用作简化决策的经验法则。
There are many well-known razors:
有很多知名的剃须刀:
Occam’s razor, named for fourteenth-century philosopher William of Occam, states that when weighing explanations for something, the one with the fewest necessary assumptions is generally the correct one. The simplest explanation is the best one. Simple is beautiful.
奥卡姆剃刀原理,以十四世纪哲学家威廉·奥卡姆的名字命名,指出在权衡对某一事物的解释时,通常情况下,必要假设最少的解释才是正确的。最简单的解释往往是最好的。简洁即是美。
Hanlon’s razor, a tongue-in-cheek adage stating that one must never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. It’s best applied to politics, relationships, and general online discourse.
汉隆剃刀原理是一句略带讽刺意味的格言,它指出,凡是能用愚蠢解释的事情,都不要归咎于恶意。这句格言最适用于政治、人际关系和一般的网络讨论。
Hitchens’s razor, created by and named for the late author Christopher Hitchens, states that anything asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence. A useful rule that will save you from wasting time on pointless arguments.
希钦斯剃刀原理由已故作家克里斯托弗·希钦斯提出并以其名字命名,它指出,任何未经证实的断言,同样也可以未经证实地驳斥。这条实用的原则可以避免你把时间浪费在无谓的争论上。
Keeping the Earth in the window was, in an abstract sense, a razor for the Apollo 13 astronauts. In the chaos of the moment, facing an impossible challenge with hundreds of variables that might send them to their graves, the astronauts identified a beautifully simple, single point of focus, a rule of thumb that allowed them to shave away unnecessary actions and simplify the complex manual correction.
从某种抽象意义上讲,对于阿波罗13号宇航员来说,保持地球始终在窗口内就像一把剃刀。在当时的混乱局面下,面对数百个可能将他们送上绝路的变量,宇航员们找到了一个极其简单、至关重要的焦点,一条经验法则,使他们能够剔除不必要的操作,简化复杂的手动校正。
This story offers a powerful metaphor for your life.
这个故事为你的人生提供了一个强有力的隐喻。
Inevitably, you will encounter opportunities, chaos, challenges, and complexity that will test you:
不可避免地,你会遇到机遇、混乱、挑战和复杂情况,这些都会考验你:
A shiny new job that tempts you to leave the company you love
一份诱人的新工作,让你想要离开你深爱的公司。
The death of a family member or dear friend
家人或挚友的去世
A job loss that takes your financial situation from good to bad
失业使你的财务状况从良好转为糟糕。
Health problems that affect those closest to you
影响你身边最亲近之人的健康问题
Relationship struggles with someone who once felt like your rock
与曾经视你为磐石的人的关系陷入困境
A critical decision that feels too heavy and difficult to make
一个至关重要的决定,感觉太过沉重和艰难,难以做出。
It’s easy to allow your priorities to fall victim to these encounters, to lose yourself in the chaos. In these moments, you need your own single point of focus—your own rule of thumb to simplify your decision making, a foundational decision-making heuristic that will allow you to navigate the uncertainty and trials of life with the confidence of an experienced explorer. You need to keep the Earth in the window.
在这些纷扰之中,你很容易忽略自己的优先事项,迷失在混乱之中。此时,你需要一个明确的焦点——一套简化决策的准则,一个基础性的决策启发式方法,让你能够像经验丰富的探险家一样,自信地应对人生中的不确定性和挑战。你需要始终将地球放在心上。
You need a Life Razor.
你需要一把生命剃刀。
In January 2023, entrepreneur Marc Randolph, the cofounder and first CEO of the streaming pioneer Netflix, posted a photo of a short, handwritten note with the caption “My definition of success.” In it, Randolph described a weekly nonnegotiable ritual that he had maintained throughout his ultra-successful technology career:
2023年1月,流媒体先驱Netflix的联合创始人兼首任首席执行官、企业家马克·兰多夫发布了一张手写便条的照片,并配文“我对成功的定义”。在便条中,兰多夫描述了他在其辉煌的科技职业生涯中一直坚持的一个每周例行仪式:
“For over thirty years, I had a hard cut-off on Tuesdays. Rain or shine, I left at exactly 5 p.m. and spent the evening with my [wife]. We would go to a movie, have dinner, or just go window shopping downtown together.”
“三十多年来,我每周二都准时下班。风雨无阻,下午五点准时离开,然后和妻子一起度过晚上。我们会去看电影、吃晚饭,或者只是一起去市中心逛逛。”
I spoke to Randolph a few months later and asked him about the origin of the Tuesday-dinner rule and its importance to his life.
几个月后,我和兰道夫谈了谈,问他周二晚餐规则的由来以及它对他生活的重要性。
Early in his career, he told me, he was working eighty-hour weeks, completely immersed in the start-up world. When his relationship began to suffer, Randolph said, “I realized that I was the problem, because I was expecting her to take the leftovers of what I was able to offer, and that felt wrong to me.” But rather than ignoring the problem or expecting it to solve itself, he took matters into his own hands. “Everything comes from what you put first,” he said. “I needed to reprioritize my allocation of time.”
他告诉我,在他职业生涯早期,他每周工作八十个小时,完全沉浸在创业的世界里。兰多夫说,当他的感情开始出现问题时,“我意识到问题出在我身上,因为我总是期望她接受我所能提供的剩余部分,这让我感觉很不对劲。”但他并没有忽视问题,也没有指望它自行解决,而是主动出击。“一切都取决于你把什么放在首位,”他说,“我需要重新调整我的时间分配。”
The Tuesday dinner became a nonnegotiable ritual. Even as he was starting one of the most transformative technology companies of the modern era, Randolph stuck to it. “Nothing got in the way of that. If you had something to say to me on Tuesday afternoon at four fifty-five, you had better say it on the way to the parking lot. If there was a crisis, we were going to wrap it up by five.”
周二晚餐成了不容更改的惯例。即便在他创办了现代最具变革性的科技公司之一时,兰道夫也坚持了下来。“没有什么能打乱这个惯例。如果你周二下午四点五十五分有什么话要跟我说,最好在去停车场的路上就说。如果有什么紧急情况,我们会在五点前解决。”
But the Tuesday-dinner rule wasn’t about the dinner—not really. “It was all about symbolism, ripple effects into every other area of my life. The ritual illustrates to me and everyone around me—my family, my partners, my employees, my friends—what my priorities are.” It was a small, consistent weekly display of respect and admiration for what he valued most in life, a strong signal through action, not words. His wife sees his commitment to their relationship and love, which strengthens her own commitment to the bond. His children see his dedication to their mother and the family unit, which makes them secure in their understanding of their role in his world. His employees see his priorities and boundaries with his family and are encouraged to set their own, which makes them more loyal and focused during the hours at work.
但“周二晚餐”这条规则并非仅仅关乎晚餐本身。“它蕴含着象征意义,影响着我生活的方方面面。这个仪式向我以及我身边所有人——我的家人、伴侣、员工、朋友——清晰地表明了我的优先事项。”这是一种每周一次的、细微而持续的表达,体现了他对生命中最珍视之物的尊重和敬意,一种用行动而非言语传递的强有力信号。他的妻子看到了他对这段关系和爱情的投入,这更加坚定了她对这段感情的忠诚。他的孩子们看到了他对母亲和家庭的奉献,这让他们对自己在父亲世界中的角色有了更清晰的认识。他的员工看到了他对家庭的重视程度和界限,并受到启发去设定自己的界限,这让他们在工作中更加忠诚和专注。
One action—a weekly Tuesday-evening dinner—with ripple effects that extend well beyond.
一个行动——每周二晚上聚餐——却产生了深远的影响。
“I resolved a long time ago to not be one of those entrepreneurs on their seventh start-up and their seventh wife. In fact, the thing I’m most proud of in my life is not the companies I started, it’s the fact that I was able to start them while staying married to the same woman; having my kids grow up knowing me and (best as I can tell) liking me, and being able to spend time pursuing the other passions in my life. That’s my definition of success.”
“我很久以前就下定决心,绝不做那种创办第七家公司、娶第七任妻子的企业家。事实上,我人生中最引以为豪的并非我创办的公司,而是我能够在与同一位妻子婚姻美满的同时创办这些公司;我的孩子们在成长过程中认识我,并且(据我所知)喜欢我;我还能抽出时间追求我人生中的其他爱好。这就是我对成功的定义。”
Most important, that idea (“I will never miss a Tuesday dinner”) is an identity-defining statement for Marc Randolph. It is clear, controllable, and serves as a reminder-to-self of the type of person he is. When a new situation or opportunity arises, good or bad, he can ask himself, “What would the type of person who never misses a Tuesday dinner do in this situation? How would he handle it?” This is where the true power lies—in the connection of a single, elegant statement to how your ideal self shows up in the world.
最重要的是,这个想法(“我绝不会错过周二的晚餐”)对马克·兰多夫来说,是定义他身份的宣言。它清晰明了,可控可行,时刻提醒着他自己是怎样的人。每当新的情况或机会出现,无论好坏,他都可以问自己:“一个从不错过周二晚餐的人,在这种情况下会怎么做?他会如何处理?” 这才是真正的力量所在——将一句简洁明了的宣言与你理想中的自我如何在世人面前展现联系起来。
“I will never miss a Tuesday dinner” is Marc Randolph’s Life Razor, his single point of focus that allows him to cut through the noise, maintain perspective and balance, make decisions in line with his core identity, and create positive ripple effects throughout his world. Without one, you’re leaving life to chance; like a mountain climber caught in a blizzard, you’ll become blinded by it, lose all points of reference, and wander aimlessly, praying for the storm to subside. With one, you’ll see clearly—the storms won’t be any less turbulent, but you’ll be well equipped to navigate through to the other side.
“我绝不错过周二的晚餐”是马克·兰多夫的人生信条,是他唯一的关注点,让他能够拨开迷雾,保持清醒的头脑和平衡的心态,做出符合自身核心价值观的决定,并在他的生活中产生积极的影响。如果没有它,你的人生就只能听天由命;就像登山者被困在暴风雪中,你会被暴风雪蒙蔽双眼,失去所有参照点,漫无目的地游荡,祈祷暴风雪过去。有了它,你就能看得更清楚——暴风雪依然会汹涌澎湃,但你将做好充分的准备,顺利渡过难关。
Marc Randolph found his Life Razor. Now let’s help you find yours.
马克·兰多夫找到了他的人生利刃。现在,让我们来帮助你找到你的人生利刃。
Your Life Razor is a single statement that will define your presence in the current season of life.
你的人生箴言是一句简洁有力的宣言,它将定义你在人生现阶段的存在状态。
A powerful Life Razor has three core characteristics. It is:
一把强大的生命剃刀具备三个核心特征。它是:
Controllable: It should be within your direct control.
可控性:它应该在你的直接控制之下。
Ripple-creating: It should have positive second-order effects in other areas of life.
产生涟漪效应:它应该会对生活的其他领域产生积极的二阶效应。
Identity-defining: It should be indicative of the type of person you are, the way your ideal self shows up in the world.
定义身份:它应该表明你是什么样的人,你理想的自我如何在世界上展现出来。
To bring this to life, let’s look at an example from my own life.
为了更生动地说明这一点,让我们来看一个我生活中的例子。
“I will coach my son’s sports teams” is my Life Razor:
“我要执教我儿子的运动队”是我的人生信条:
Controllable: I am in control of making the time to coach my son’s sports teams. I can take the actions necessary to have freedom to participate in these activities and to be the type of father who he is excited to have around him as a coach.
可控性:我可以自主安排时间指导儿子的运动队。我可以采取必要的行动,让自己有自由参与这些活动,并成为他乐于见到的那种父亲教练。
Ripple-creating: By taking these actions and making this commitment, I will show my son the value I place on our relationship. He will feel empowered by my support. My wife will see my dedication to our son and family and strengthen her dedication to us. My team and business partners will see my family priorities and feel encouraged to establish their own personal priorities, which will make them focused and loyal.
涟漪效应:通过采取这些行动并做出这项承诺,我将向儿子展现我对我们父子关系的重视。他会因我的支持而倍感鼓舞。我的妻子会看到我对儿子和家庭的付出,从而更加坚定她对我们的爱。我的团队和商业伙伴会看到我对家庭的重视,并受到鼓舞去确立他们自己的个人优先事项,这将使他们更加专注和忠诚。
Identity-defining: I am the type of person who coaches my son’s sports teams. This person is present, connected to his family and community, committed to his purpose as a father and husband; he takes care of himself and others and declines opportunities that may infringe upon freedom or jeopardize reputation.
自我认同:我是那种会指导儿子运动队的人。这样的人会陪伴家人,与家庭和社区保持紧密联系,致力于履行父亲和丈夫的职责;他会照顾好自己和他人,并拒绝任何可能侵犯自由或损害名誉的机会。
When new challenges appear, I use my Life Razor to navigate the situation:
当新的挑战出现时,我会运用我的“人生剃刀”来应对:
An interesting professional opportunity arises. It will mean more money and prestige but require more travel and time away for the next two years. I pause and ask myself, What would the type of person who coaches his son’s sports teams do here? The answer: He would be committed to prioritizing his most important relationships over additional money or prestige . This helps me think through the trade-offs on time and freedom so I can either adjust the opportunity to fit my life or turn it down.
一个有趣的职业机会摆在眼前。它意味着更高的薪水和更大的声望,但也意味着未来两年需要更多地出差和离开家。我停下来问自己:一个会亲自指导儿子运动队的人会怎么做?答案是:他会把最重要的关系放在首位,而不是追求额外的金钱或声望。这让我开始认真思考时间和自由之间的权衡,从而决定是调整这个机会以适应我的生活,还是放弃它。
A challenging family situation arises. It would be easy to ignore or outsource the struggle. I ask myself, How would the type of person who coaches his son’s sports teams step up here? The answer: He would confront the struggle, face it head-on, and stand as a pillar of strength for his loved ones. This helps me clarify my response and encourage resilience in our family unit.
家庭中出现了棘手的难题。很容易选择忽视或将困境推卸给别人。我问自己:一个会亲自指导儿子运动队的人,会如何应对这种情况?答案是:他会直面困境,迎难而上,成为家人坚强的后盾。这让我理清了思路,也增强了我们家庭的韧性。
A potentially life-changing financial opportunity arises but it carries reputation risk. I might be tempted by the money, but I know that the type of person who coaches his son’s sports teams would never jeopardize his son’s respect and admiration for money. I pass up the opportunity.
一个可能改变人生的重大财务机会摆在眼前,但同时也伴随着名誉风险。金钱或许会诱惑我,但我知道,一个会亲自指导儿子运动队的人,绝不会为了金钱而损害儿子对他的尊重和敬仰。所以我放弃了这个机会。
The simple statement “I will coach my son’s sports teams” becomes a dynamic defining rule for life—my Life Razor.
“我要执教我儿子的运动队”这句简单的话语,成为了我人生中一条充满活力的决定性准则——我的人生准则。
It’s time to define your Life Razor.
是时候定义你的人生准则了。
The goal is to complete this sentence: “I am the type of person who [blank].” To do so, write down the actions and character traits that capture your ideal identity. If you were able to attend your own funeral, what would you want everyone to say about your actions, about who you were and how you lived? List them. Then zoom out and contemplate the bigger picture. What single action from the list would imply all the others?
目标是完成这句话:“我是一个[此处留空]的人。”为此,请写下能够体现你理想自我的行为和性格特征。如果你能参加自己的葬礼,你希望大家如何评价你的行为、你的为人以及你的生活方式?把它们列出来。然后,跳出固有思维,思考更宏观的问题。列表中哪一项行为能够概括其他所有行为?
Here are a few examples from real people who’ve completed this exercise to spark your thinking:
以下是一些真实用户完成此练习后的例子,希望能启发你的思考:
Mid-forties investment professional: I am disciplined. I delay gratification; I never chase the shiny thing. I wake up early and train my body and mind. I take care of myself and others. I work hard on things that matter to me and take pride in punching the clock for people who are counting on me. “I wake up early and do hard things” is my Life Razor.
四十多岁的投资专业人士:我自律性强。我延迟满足,从不追逐虚幻的事物。我早起锻炼身心。我照顾好自己,也照顾好他人。我努力做好对我重要的事情,并为那些依赖我的人尽职尽责而感到自豪。“早起做难事”是我的人生信条。
Mid-thirties stay-at-home mother: I am a caregiver. I am the mother that I wish I had when I was growing up. I always have energy for my kids, no matter how tired I am. I am in a season where I prioritize their growth and development. “I always tuck my kids into bed” is my Life Razor.
三十多岁的全职妈妈:我是一位照顾者。我就是自己小时候梦寐以求的那种妈妈。无论多累,我总能为孩子们付出一切。现在,我把他们的成长和发展放在首位。“我总是会哄孩子们上床睡觉”是我的人生信条。
Mid-twenties consultant: I am fiercely loyal. I am trustworthy. I have high emotional intelligence. I am always there to sit with a friend in need. I prioritize my relationships and the people on the journey with me. I never let someone down if they’re counting on me, professionally or personally. “I never let a friend cry alone” is my Life Razor.
二十多岁的咨询顾问:我忠诚可靠,情商很高。朋友需要帮助时,我总会陪伴在他们身边。我重视人际关系,也珍惜与我同行的人。无论在工作还是生活中,只要有人需要我,我绝不会让他们失望。“绝不让朋友独自哭泣”是我的人生信条。
Mid-thirties entrepreneur: I prioritize my family and friendships above all else. I show up for the people I love. I am protective, supportive, and giving. I always make it to the game, concert, parent-teacher meeting, or doctor’s appointment. I take care of myself physically and mentally so that I can take care of others. I am focused and get things done efficiently to make these priorities work. “I never miss a recital” is my Life Razor.
三十多岁的创业者:我把家庭和友谊放在首位。我会陪伴我爱的人。我保护他们,支持他们,也乐于付出。我总是能赶上他们的比赛、音乐会、家长会或医生预约。我照顾好自己的身心健康,才能更好地照顾他人。我专注高效地完成各项任务,确保这些优先事项都能顺利实现。“从不错过任何一场演出”是我的人生信条。
Mid-sixties retiree: I am a servant leader. I believe in the world-changing power of good deeds. I always take care of others, both in my inner circle and in the extended circles of my community. I value reputation, goodness, and legacy above all near-term pleasures. “I do one good deed each day (and never tell anyone about it)” is my Life Razor.
六十多岁的退休人士:我是一位服务型领导者。我坚信善行拥有改变世界的力量。我总是关心他人,无论是我身边的人,还是我所在的社区。我珍视声誉、品德和传承,胜过一切短暂的享乐。“我每天做一件好事(而且从不告诉任何人)”是我的人生信条。
In each example, the single-statement Life Razor becomes a broad, identity-defining rule for life that covers the entire range of traits and actions. It’s easy to see how the identity the rule shapes can be used to clarify the appropriate, identity-aligned response in a wide variety of life situations.
在每个例子中,这句简洁明了的“人生剃刀”都成为一条涵盖所有特质和行为的、定义人生身份的宽泛准则。不难看出,这条准则所塑造的身份,如何能帮助我们在各种人生情境中,找到与自身身份相符的恰当应对方式。
Pause here and walk through the exercise. Give yourself time to think deeply and reflect. Write down a few options. Test each against the three core characteristics (controllable, ripple-creating, identity-defining). Narrow down the options to select your starting version. Place it somewhere visible—it should always be top of mind as you face life’s opportunities and challenges. When they come, turn to it. What would the type of person who [blank] do in this situation? How would that person handle it?
请在此稍作停顿,仔细完成以下练习。给自己一些时间深入思考和反思。写下几个选项。对照三个核心特征(可控性、影响深远性、身份认同)对每个选项进行检验。缩小选项范围,选出你的初始版本。把它放在显眼的地方——当你面对人生中的机遇和挑战时,它应该始终在你脑海中。当机遇和挑战来临时,就参考它。在这种情况下,[空白处]类型的人会怎么做?他们会如何处理?
Your Life Razor can (and will) change across the seasons of your life. It may look very different when you’re a single twenty-four-year-old than it does when you’re a married forty-year-old—and it will certainly look different when you’re a parent to young children, a parent to adult children, or a grandparent. Revisit the exercise every few years to assess its continued value and relevance. Adjust and redefine it accordingly.
你的人生准则会随着你人生的不同阶段而改变。当你24岁单身时,它与你40岁已婚时可能截然不同——当你成为幼儿的父母、成年子女的父母或祖父母时,它肯定也会有所不同。每隔几年重新审视一下,评估它的价值和意义,并据此进行调整和重新定义。
I’ve never met Tom Hanks, but he changed my life. If you identify your Earth in the window—your Life Razor—and keep it top of mind, I’m willing to bet he’ll change yours too.
我从未见过汤姆·汉克斯,但他改变了我的人生。如果你能认清自己人生的真谛——你的人生准则——并时刻铭记于心,我敢打赌,他也会改变你的人生。
There is no favorable wind for the sailor who doesn’t know where to go.
—Seneca
对于不知何去何从的水手来说,顺风并无益处。——塞内卡
On my thirty-second birthday, my parents gave me a small silver compass. Inscribed inside was a short message:
在我三十二岁生日那天,父母送给我一个小小的银罗盘。罗盘内侧刻着一段简短的留言:
Sahil—So you may always know where your true north lies. Mom & Dad
萨希尔——这样你就能永远知道你的真北在哪里。爸爸妈妈
A photo of the compass gifted to me by my parents
一张我父母送给我的指南针的照片
Their deeper message: Life is about direction, not speed.
他们更深层的含义是:人生在于方向,而非速度。
When our old friend King Pyrrhus of Epirus charged into fevered battle with the Roman Republic in the third century B.C., he did so with a desire to crush his enemy as quickly as possible. He emerged victorious from the battle, only to realize his “victory” had set him on an inevitable course to lose the war. Far too many people are destined for a similar fate.
公元前三世纪,我们的老朋友伊庇鲁斯国王皮洛士率军与罗马共和国展开激战,他一心想要尽快击溃敌人。他最终赢得了这场战役的胜利,却很快意识到,这场“胜利”实际上让他走上了一条注定失败的道路。太多人注定要落得同样的下场。
To avoid it, you need to focus on direction. You need to keep your compass pointed at your true north.
为了避免这种情况,你需要专注于方向。你需要始终保持指南针指向正北。
In each section summary to follow, you will be asked to use a goal-setting framework to clearly calibrate your compass associated with that specific type of wealth. This compass works synergistically with your Life Razor: Your Life Razor establishes your identity—who you are and what you stand for—while your compass defines where you’re going, your vision for the future. You will turn to your Life Razor when challenges or opportunities arise, but your compass will dictate your direction as you build toward your dream life.
在接下来的每个章节总结中,您将被要求运用目标设定框架,清晰地校准与特定财富类型相关的方向指南针。这个方向指南针与您的“人生剃刀”相辅相成:您的“人生剃刀”确立了您的身份——您是谁,您的价值观是什么——而您的方向指南针则定义了您的前进方向,您对未来的愿景。当挑战或机遇来临时,您会参考您的“人生剃刀”,但您的方向指南针将指引您朝着梦想人生迈进的方向。
The goal-setting framework you will use has two connected components:
您将使用的目标设定框架包含两个相互关联的部分:
Goals
目标
Anti-goals
反目标
Goals are the things you want to happen on your journey. This should include your big, audacious, long-term ambitions and your medium-term “checkpoint” objectives. If the long-term ambition is the summit of the mountain, the medium-term objectives are the mid-climb campsites—you can’t get to the summit without reaching these checkpoints along the way. To establish your goals, reflect on what you really want to achieve in each area of life. Identify one big, ambitious summit, then work backward from these long-term ambitions to establish medium-term objectives that represent the two to three logical “campsites” along the climb to that summit.
目标是你在人生旅程中希望达成的成就。这应该包括你远大的、雄心勃勃的长期抱负,以及你的中期“里程碑”目标。如果说长期抱负是登顶高峰,那么中期目标就是攀登途中的营地——你不可能不经过这些营地就到达顶峰。为了制定目标,你需要认真思考在人生的各个领域,你真正想要实现的是什么。首先确定一个远大的、充满挑战的“山峰”,然后从这个长期抱负出发,反向推算出两到三个中期目标,这些目标就像攀登过程中两到三个合理的“营地”,指引你到达山顶。
Anti-goals are the things we don’t want to happen on our journey to achieve our goals.
反目标是指我们在实现目标的过程中不希望发生的事情。
The concept of anti-goals is derived from entrepreneur Andrew Wilkinson, who cites a 2017 conversation with his business partner as its origin. “Our true goal was actually pretty simple: We wanted to enjoy our time at work, but without the same problems—jammed calendars, constant travel, no time with kids, not enough sleep—that plagued many of our successful friends.”
“反目标”的概念源于企业家安德鲁·威尔金森,他表示这一概念源于2017年与商业伙伴的一次对话。“我们真正的目标其实很简单:我们想享受工作时光,但又不想面对许多成功朋友所面临的那些问题——日程安排满满、经常出差、没有时间陪伴孩子、睡眠不足。”
Andrew and his partner were longtime admirers of the late investor Charlie Munger, who famously said, “All I want to know is where I’m going to die so I’ll never go there.” That quote sparked their thinking: They needed to invert the problem. Just as they set goals for what they wanted to happen, they needed to set anti-goals: things they wanted to avoid.
安德鲁和他的合伙人一直很欣赏已故投资家查理·芒格,芒格曾说过一句名言:“我只想知道我会在哪里死去,这样我就永远不会去那里。” 这句话启发了他们:他们需要反其道而行之。正如他们设定了想要达成的目标一样,他们也需要设定反目标:他们想要避免的事情。
To paraphrase Munger, anti-goals are about knowing where you’re going to (metaphorically) die so you never go there. If the goals are your summit, anti-goals are the things you don’t want to sacrifice while climbing—like your toes, your sanity, and your life. You want to reach the summit, but not at the expense of these things.
套用芒格的话来说,反目标就是让你知道自己(比喻意义上)会在哪里死去,从而避免去那里。如果目标是你的登顶之路,那么反目标就是你在攀登过程中不想牺牲的东西——比如你的脚趾、你的理智,以及你的生命。你想登顶,但不想以牺牲这些东西为代价。
For example, if your long-term goal is to become a CEO, your anti-goals might be spending more than ten days away from your family per month, allowing your health to suffer from stress and travel, and loosening your moral standards to achieve profit targets. You want to achieve your goal, but not if it means having these three negative outcomes.
例如,如果你的长期目标是成为首席执行官,那么你的反目标可能包括:每月离家超过十天、因压力和出差而损害健康,以及为了实现利润目标而降低道德标准。你当然想要实现目标,但前提是不能因此而承受这三种负面后果。
To establish anti-goals, look at your goals, but rather than think about this great outcome, invert the problem—flip it on its head:
要制定反目标,首先要审视你的目标,但不要去想这个美好的结果,而是反过来思考问题——把它完全颠倒过来:
What are the worst possible outcomes that could result from your pursuit of these goals?
追求这些目标可能导致的最坏结果是什么?
What could lead to those worst possible outcomes occurring?
什么因素会导致最糟糕的后果发生?
What would you view as a Pyrrhic victory—winning the battle but losing the war?
你认为什么是得不偿失的胜利——赢得了战役却输掉了整场战争?
Using your answers to these questions, select one to three specific anti-goals for each long-term goal.
根据你对这些问题的回答,为每个长期目标选择一到三个具体的反目标。
Once your goals and anti-goals are established, your compass is calibrated for the journey.
一旦确定了目标和反目标,你的指南针就校准好了,可以开始你的旅程了。
If your goals and anti-goals establish your direction, the high-leverage systems are the engine that drives you forward into that envisioned future. In his bestselling book Atomic Habits, author James Clear famously wrote, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
如果你的目标和反目标能够指引你的方向,那么高杠杆系统就是驱动你迈向理想未来的引擎。畅销书《原子习惯》的作者詹姆斯·克利尔曾写道:“你不会达到目标的高度,你会跌落到系统的水平。”
Systems are the daily actions that create forward progress. Leverage amplifies the output of a single unit of input. Combining the two ideas, high-leverage systems are the daily actions that create amplified, asymmetric forward progress. To understand this, we briefly turn to a legendary soccer star and the most famous investor of all time.
系统是指推动进步的日常行动。杠杆作用可以放大单个投入单位的产出。结合这两个概念,高杠杆系统是指能够产生放大效应、非对称进步的日常行动。为了更好地理解这一点,我们不妨简要地了解一下一位传奇足球明星和一位史上最著名的投资者。
It’s December 18, 2022, and Lionel Messi walks slowly around the pitch of Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar. He looks around, gazes off into space. It’s easy to imagine this is a scene from a pregame practice or following a game’s conclusion—but it is not. Lionel Messi is walking slowly around the pitch in the 107th minute of the most important match of his life—the World Cup final against France—with ninety thousand screaming fans in the stands and over one billion people watching worldwide.
2022年12月18日,在卡塔尔多哈的卢赛尔体育场,莱昂内尔·梅西缓缓踱步。他环顾四周,目光投向远方。人们很容易误以为这是赛前训练或是比赛结束后的场景——但事实并非如此。此时,梅西正站在他人生中最重要的一场比赛——世界杯决赛对阵法国——的第107分钟,看台上九万名球迷的呐喊声震耳欲聋,全球超过十亿人通过电视直播观看这场比赛。
Suddenly, he sparks into action. As if possessed, he sprints forward at an angle, receives a pass from teammate Lautaro Martínez, and quickly routes the ball to teammate Enzo Fernández, who sends it back to Martínez. Martínez shoots, but a spectacular save by France’s goalkeeper Hugo Lloris deflects the ball straight to Messi. As he has done so many times in his career, Lionel Messi controls the ball and fires a shot into the goal, giving Argentina the lead in extra time. They would go on to win the match in a penalty shoot-out, cementing Lionel Messi’s case as the greatest soccer player of all time.
突然间,他如同被附身一般,斜向前冲刺,接到队友劳塔罗·马丁内斯的传球,迅速将球传给队友恩佐·费尔南德斯,费尔南德斯又将球回传给马丁内斯。马丁内斯起脚射门,但法国门将雨果·洛里斯做出精彩扑救,将球挡到梅西脚下。梅西如同职业生涯中无数次那样,稳稳控制住球,一脚劲射破门,帮助阿根廷在加时赛中取得领先。最终,阿根廷在点球大战中获胜,梅西也因此巩固了自己作为史上最伟大足球运动员的地位。
Messi’s almost incomprehensibly long list of professional accolades includes (at the time of this writing) a record eight Ballon d’Or awards and six European Golden Shoes, given to the best player of the year and the leading goal scorer, respectively; he also holds the records for the most goals in La Liga, the Supercopa de España, and the UEFA Super Cup, and the most officially recorded assists in soccer history. In a world of sports dominated by perfect physical specimens who outrun, outjump, and outhustle their opponents, Lionel Messi stands out as an anomaly. He is just five foot seven and weighs under 160 pounds, and if you watch him play, he often appears sluggish, even lazy. A Google search of Lionel Messi lazy yields about five hundred thousand results, most of them noting his propensity to walk around the soccer pitch while his teammates and opponents are sprinting feverishly in various directions. It is the most talked-about walking habit in the world. In the run-up to Argentina’s 2022 World Cup final, The New Yorker published an article with a subtitle that said Messi “can often be found off the ball, strolling and dawdling and looking mildly uninterested.”
梅西的职业荣誉清单几乎令人难以置信,截至撰写本文时,他已创纪录地八次荣膺金球奖,六次获得欧洲金靴奖,分别授予年度最佳球员和最佳射手;他还保持着西甲联赛、西班牙超级杯和欧洲超级杯的进球纪录,以及足球史上官方记录最多的助攻数。在如今这个由体格完美、速度、弹跳和拼抢能力都远超对手的体育世界里,梅西显得格外另类。他身高仅1.70米,体重不足73公斤,如果你观看他的比赛,会发现他常常显得有些迟缓,甚至有些懒散。在谷歌上搜索“梅西 懒散”,会得到大约五十万条结果,其中大部分都提到他喜欢在球场上闲逛,而他的队友和对手却在场上拼命奔跑。这可以说是世界上最受关注的走路习惯了。在阿根廷 2022 年世界杯决赛前夕,《纽约客》发表了一篇文章,副标题是:梅西“经常被发现无球在场,闲逛、磨蹭,看起来有点不感兴趣”。
But it turns out Lionel Messi’s walking is far from laziness—it’s strategy. Interestingly, it’s the same strategy employed by the world’s most successful investor.
但事实证明,梅西的走路姿势绝非懒惰——而是一种策略。有趣的是,这恰好也是世界上最成功的投资者所采用的策略。
Warren Buffett is known as the Oracle of Omaha for a reason. Over an investing career spanning more than seventy years, he has achieved compounded annual returns of over 20 percent, an astonishing feat over such a long time. To put this figure in perspective, if you had invested $10,000 in Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway in 1965, it would be worth an eye-watering $300 million today. In a world of investing dominated by high-frequency trading and high-tech algorithms designed to outmaneuver the markets and competition, Warren Buffett stands out as an anomaly. He generated these results while making fewer investments than the average casual day trader. Commenting on his strategy, he once quipped, “The trick in investing is just to sit there and watch pitch after pitch go by and wait for the one right in your sweet spot.” [3]
沃伦·巴菲特被称为“奥马哈先知”并非浪得虚名。在他长达七十余年的投资生涯中,他实现了超过20%的年复合收益率,这在如此长的时间里堪称一项惊人的成就。为了更直观地理解这个数字,如果你在1965年投资了1万美元到巴菲特的伯克希尔·哈撒韦公司,那么今天这笔投资的价值将高达3亿美元,令人瞠目结舌。在如今这个被高频交易和旨在战胜市场和竞争对手的高科技算法所主导的投资世界里,沃伦·巴菲特显得格外独特。他取得如此佳绩的同时,投资次数甚至比普通日内交易员还要少。谈到他的投资策略,他曾戏谑道:“投资的诀窍就是坐在那里,看着一个又一个推销机会出现,等待那个最符合你需求的。”[3]
So what do the young soccer star and the old investing whiz have in common? Both focus their energy on a few key moments and ignore the rest. When they’re on, they deploy their energy in a concentrated, glorious burst. When they’re off, they wait, conserve, and position themselves slowly and strategically into locations that will be advantageous in future moments. They work smart—not hard.
那么,这位年轻的足球明星和这位老投资奇才有什么共同之处呢?他们都将精力集中在几个关键时刻,而忽略其他事情。状态好的时候,他们会集中精力,全力以赴;状态不好的时候,他们会耐心等待,积蓄力量,然后缓慢而有策略地将自己置于未来有利的位置。他们做事讲究方法,而不是蛮干。
Lionel Messi and Warren Buffett understand the power of high-leverage systems. Whereas most people operate in a fixed, symmetric loop of inputs and outputs—with one unit input for one unit output—Messi and Buffett identify and focus their energy on the actions and decisions that are likely to generate one hundred units of output for their one unit of input. They fundamentally break the fixed relationship of inputs and outputs to create asymmetric outcomes.
莱昂内尔·梅西和沃伦·巴菲特深谙高杠杆系统的力量。大多数人遵循着固定的、对称的投入产出循环——投入一单位,产出一单位——而梅西和巴菲特则专注于那些能够以一单位投入获得百单位产出的行动和决策。他们从根本上打破了投入产出的固定关系,从而创造了不对称的结果。
If the greatest soccer player and the greatest investor of all time share this common trait, we should take heed. The guides at the end of each section will arm you with proven high-leverage systems for each domain. To establish your high-leverage systems, consider the guides and select the actions that will create meaningful progress toward your envisioned future.
如果史上最伟大的足球运动员和最伟大的投资者都拥有这种共同特质,我们就应该重视起来。每节末尾的指南将为您提供各个领域行之有效的高效系统。要建立您自己的高效系统,请参考这些指南,并选择那些能够为您实现理想未来做出切实贡献的行动。
An old school of thought would contend that your focus on each type of wealth exists in a binary state: on or off. It would say that you can have, at most, two types flipped on at any point in time and that the other three types would have to be flipped off.
一种旧式的观点认为,你对每种财富的关注状态是二元的:要么开启,要么关闭。这种观点认为,在任何时刻,你最多只能同时开启两种财富,而其他三种财富则必须处于关闭状态。
The fundamental problem with this is that if one remains off for too long, it can never be turned on again. If you don’t nurture and cultivate your relationships in your twenties and thirties, you won’t have them in your forties. If you don’t invest in your health in your forties and fifties, you won’t have it in your sixties. If you don’t take care of your mind in your sixties and seventies, you won’t have it in your eighties.
问题的根本在于,如果一个人长时间处于关闭状态,就再也无法重新开启。如果你在二三十岁时不用心经营人际关系,到了四五十岁,你就不会拥有这些关系。如果你在四五十岁时不注重健康,到了六十岁,你就不会拥有健康。如果你在六七十岁时不保养精神,到了八十岁,你就不会拥有精神。
This book rejects that old school of thought and offers a new one: If you have the appropriate goals, anti-goals, and high-leverage systems, your focus on each type of wealth can exist on a dimmer switch rather than an on/off switch. This shift is important. It allows you to prioritize your values and goals for the present season without turning off any one area, something that leads to atrophy that proves painful (and difficult) to reverse.
本书摒弃了旧有的思维模式,提出了一种新的观点:如果你拥有合适的目标、反目标和高效的系统,你对每种财富的关注程度就可以像调光开关一样进行调节,而不是像开关一样非此即彼。这种转变至关重要。它使你能够在不完全放弃任何一个领域的情况下,优先考虑你当前阶段的价值观和目标——而放弃任何一个领域都会导致发展停滞,这种停滞一旦发生,就很难逆转,而且过程痛苦不堪。
Let’s consider an example of a potential life arc to bring this new school of thought into focus:
让我们来看一个潜在的人生轨迹的例子,以便更好地理解这种新的思想流派:
Season 1: You’re just beginning your career. You want to establish a solid financial foundation and build marketable skills. Financial and Mental Wealth become the primary goals. Your anti-goals are allowing Time, Social, and Physical Wealth to atrophy in the pursuit of these goals, so you adopt a few high-leverage systems for maintenance. During this season, you dramatically improve your Financial and Mental Wealth and maintain the others.
第一阶段:你刚刚开始职业生涯。你渴望建立稳固的财务基础,并培养市场所需的技能。财务财富和精神财富成为你的首要目标。然而,为了实现这些目标,你却忽略了时间、社交和物质财富,导致它们逐渐萎缩。因此,你采用了一些高效的维护系统。在这个阶段,你的财务财富和精神财富将显著提升,其他财富也将得到维持。
Season 2: You’re starting a family. You want to prioritize your relationship with your family but worry that the progress you’ve made in your career and finances will suffer. Time and Social Wealth become the primary goals. Your anti-goals are allowing Financial and Mental Wealth to diminish after the progress from Season 1, so you adopt a few high-leverage systems for maintenance. During this season, you have the freedom and energy to be an active figure in your family’s formative years, and while you may not have accelerated your career trajectory, you have certainly kept it from deteriorating.
第二阶段:你组建了家庭。你想优先考虑与家人的关系,但又担心事业和财务上的进展会受到影响。时间和社交财富成为首要目标。由于你忽略了财务和精神财富,导致第一阶段取得的进展有所减少,因此你采取了一些高效的维护措施。在这个阶段,你有自由和精力积极参与到家庭的成长过程中,虽然你的事业发展可能没有加速,但你肯定避免了事业的下滑。
Season 3: Your family is less of a demand on your time and energy. You want to prioritize your purpose and improve your health. Mental and Physical Wealth become the primary goals. Your anti-goals are allowing Social and Financial Wealth to deteriorate, so you adopt a few high-leverage systems for maintenance. During this season, you find new energy for life from your purpose-imbued days and improved vitality, and your most important relationships and financial needs are preserved.
第三阶段:家庭不再占用您太多时间和精力。您希望优先考虑自身目标并改善健康。精神和物质财富成为首要目标。您的一些消极目标导致社交和经济财富有所下降,因此您采取了一些高效的维护措施。在这个阶段,您将从充满目标感的日常生活和提升的活力中汲取新的生活能量,最重要的关系和财务需求也得以维系。
Season 4: You’re retired. You’ve managed to navigate a thoughtful, dynamic balance across the seasons of your life and are ready to enjoy the fruits of your efforts. You want to prioritize your relationships in this final season. Social Wealth becomes the primary goal. Your anti-goals are allowing Time, Mental, Physical, and Financial Wealth to meaningfully recede from the levels you have built in your thoughtful approach across the prior three seasons, so you adopt a few high-leverage systems for maintenance of these areas. During this season, you find deep joy and fulfillment in human connection and flourishing relationship depth while the other areas are maintained at previous levels. You sail off—literally or figuratively—into the sunset years of life.
第四季:您已退休。您成功地在人生的各个阶段中保持了深思熟虑且充满活力的平衡,现在准备享受努力的成果。在这最后一个阶段,您希望优先考虑人际关系。社交财富成为您的首要目标。您的反目标在于避免时间、精神、身体和财务财富从前三个阶段精心积累的水平上显著下降,因此您采用了一些高效的系统来维护这些方面。在这个阶段,您在人际交往和日益深厚的亲密关系中找到了深深的喜悦和满足感,而其他方面则保持在之前的水平。您扬帆起航——无论是字面意义上的还是象征意义上的——驶向人生的暮年。
The concept of a dimmer switch should also mitigate much of the undue personal and societal pressure to make constant forward progress in every area of life. When my son was born, my wife, Elizabeth, was deeply certain of her desire to be as present as possible during the first few years of his life. But doing so would have meant stepping off the track as a star fashion designer rapidly rising through the ranks in a competitive industry. It wasn’t the decision itself that was challenging—she knew what she wanted—but the weight of the external perception of the decision gave her significant pause. She felt the cultural pressure to do more, to make more, and to impress more. It was the same weight that I felt when I left my high-paying job to pursue a different path. I endured the confused looks from friends and colleagues, the assumption that I must have burned out, and a comment from a mentor, who remarked, “This will either work out, or it’ll be the worst decision of your life.” For both me and my wife, the idea that this was one season among many—that we could prioritize certain things and maintain others—was deeply empowering.
“调光开关”的概念也应该能缓解个人和社会在生活各个领域不断追求进步所带来的诸多不必要压力。我儿子出生时,我的妻子伊丽莎白非常确定自己想要尽可能多地陪伴他度过生命最初的几年。但这样做意味着她要放弃在竞争激烈的时尚界迅速崛起的明星设计师的职业道路。真正让她感到挑战的并非这个决定本身——她很清楚自己想要什么——而是外界对这个决定的看法让她犹豫不决。她感受到来自社会的压力,要做得更多、赚得更多、给人留下更深刻的印象。当我离开高薪工作去追求另一条道路时,我也感受到了同样的压力。我忍受着朋友和同事困惑的目光,他们想当然地认为我一定是精疲力竭了,还有一位导师的评价:“要么你会成功,要么这将是你人生中最糟糕的决定。”对我和我妻子来说,这只是众多阶段中的一个——我们可以优先考虑某些事情,同时兼顾其他事情——这种想法让我们深受鼓舞。
Consider the mentality of surfers riding a wave. They fully enjoy this wave, with the wisdom and awareness that there are always more waves coming. They know they don’t have to ride every single wave that comes their way. They are aware that patience and proper positioning are all that matters for when the next wave inevitably comes. They know the only way to live is by putting themselves out there in the water, because they can’t catch any waves sitting on the shore. You need to adopt the surfers’ mentality with respect to the seasons of your life. There will be seasons of growth and seasons of maintenance for each type of wealth. Enjoy each season for its individual beauty, position yourself for future seasons according to your values and goals, and always place yourself in the water.
想想冲浪者驾驭海浪的心态。他们尽情享受每一道浪,因为他们深知总会有更多浪潮涌来。他们明白自己不必驾驭每一道浪。他们明白,耐心和正确的站位才是关键,因为下一道浪终会到来。他们知道,生活的唯一途径就是投身于大海,因为坐在岸边是追不到浪的。你需要以冲浪者的心态来面对人生的各个阶段。每一种财富都会经历成长的阶段和维护的阶段。享受每个阶段的独特之美,根据你的价值观和目标为未来的阶段做好准备,并始终让自己置身于大海之中。
Tiny deviations from the optimal course can be catastrophic. You need a process for real-time course recalibration—constant evaluation, correction, and adjustment on your journey.
偏离最佳路线哪怕是微小的偏差都可能造成灾难性的后果。你需要一个实时路线调整流程——在旅途中不断评估、纠正和调整。
At the end of each month, ask yourself three tactical questions:
每个月底,问自己三个策略性问题:
What really matters right now in my life, and are my goals still aligned with this? Assess the quality of your goals and ensure that they still serve as true north.
我现在生活中真正重要的是什么?我的目标是否仍然与此相符?评估一下你的目标的质量,确保它们仍然是我前进的指路明灯。
Are my current high-leverage systems aligned with my goals? Assess the quality of your high-leverage systems and whether they create the appropriate momentum.
我目前的高杠杆系统是否与我的目标一致?评估一下你的高杠杆系统的质量,以及它们是否能产生适当的动力。
Am I in danger of running afoul of my anti-goals? Assess the quality of your environment and decisions to evaluate any changes that need to be made.
我是否有可能违背自己的既定目标?评估你的环境和决策质量,以确定是否需要做出任何改变。
The monthly ritual takes thirty minutes and creates an opportunity for regular reflection and minor course corrections that are essential on your journey.
每月一次的仪式需要三十分钟,它创造了定期反思和进行一些小的调整的机会,这对于你的旅程至关重要。
At the end of each quarter, add these four questions to your regular ritual:
每个季度末,将以下四个问题加入到你的日常流程中:
What is creating energy right now? Review your calendars from the prior quarter. What activities, people, or projects consistently created energy in your life? Did you spend ample time on these energy creators, or did they get neglected? Recalibrate to spend more time on these in the quarter ahead.
现在什么能让你充满活力?回顾一下上个季度的日程安排。哪些活动、人物或项目持续为你带来活力?你是否在这些能带来活力的事情上投入了足够的时间,还是忽略了它们?下个季度,调整你的日程安排,投入更多时间在这些事情上。
What is draining energy right now? Review your calendars from the prior quarter. What activities, people, or projects consistently drained energy from your life? Did you allow energy drainers to persist, or did you cut them off in real time? Recalibrate to spend less time on these in the quarter ahead.
现在什么事情在消耗你的精力?回顾一下上个季度的日程安排。哪些活动、人物或项目一直在消耗你的精力?你是放任这些消耗精力的事情持续下去,还是及时地切断了它们的联系?下个季度调整一下,减少在这些事情上花费的时间。
Who are the boat anchors in my life? Boat anchors are people who hold you back from your potential. They literally create a drag on your life. Boat anchors are people who belittle, put down, or diminish your accomplishments, laugh at your ambition and tell you to be more realistic, harm the quality of your environment through negativity and pessimism, and make you feel bad by consistently showing off what they have. Recalibrate to minimize or eliminate the energy you give them in the quarter ahead.
谁是我生命中的“船锚”?“船锚”指的是那些阻碍你发挥潜能的人。他们会拖累你的生活。他们会贬低、轻视你的成就,嘲笑你的雄心壮志,让你更现实一些;他们会散播负能量和悲观情绪,破坏你的生活环境;他们还会不断炫耀自己的成就,让你感到自卑。在接下来的三个月里,你需要调整心态,尽量减少或消除你给予他们的能量。
What am I avoiding because of fear? The thing you fear the most is often the thing you most need to do. Fears, when avoided, become limiters on our progress. Recalibrate to get closer to your fears in the quarter ahead.
我因为恐惧而逃避什么?你最害怕的事情往往是你最需要做的事情。恐惧,如果被逃避,就会成为我们前进的阻碍。在接下来的一个季度里,调整心态,勇敢地面对你的恐惧。
By implementing this regular adjustment ritual, you’ll keep your compass calibrated and stay on the right path.
通过定期进行这种调整,你就能保持方向正确,走在正确的道路上。
On January 1, 2014, as I was graduating from college, I wrote a letter to my future self. I sealed the letter in an envelope that read Open on Jan. 1, 2024 and placed it in my small personal safe. Over the years, I forgot about the letter and was reminded of its existence only when I found it while storing some family documents following my son’s birth. On January 1, 2024, as I was about to turn in the final draft of this book, I opened the letter and was knocked off my feet.
2014年1月1日,我大学毕业那天,给未来的自己写了一封信。我把信装进一个信封,信封上写着“2024年1月1日打开”,然后放进了我的小型私人保险箱。这些年来,我渐渐忘记了这封信,直到儿子出生后整理一些家庭文件时才重新想起它的存在。2024年1月1日,正当我准备提交这本书的最终稿时,我打开了这封信,顿时感到无比震撼。
January 1, 2014
Hey Old Man—
If you’re reading this, it means you’re alive, so congrats on that, I guess.
I’m about to graduate and enter the real world, whatever that means, so it feels like an appropriate moment to lay out some hopes for my future:
1. I hope you married Elizabeth. Seriously, I hope you didn’t fuck that up. She’s the best thing that ever happened to you.
2. I hope you’ve got a kid by now. I don’t want kids, but I imagine I might grow up at some point and change my mind on that. If you do have kids, I hope you’re a good dad. If you’re even half as good as your dad was to you, you’ll be great.
3. I really hope you’ve worked on yourself and grown up. You have a lot you hide from the world. You’re insecure. You compare yourself to everyone but yourself. You’re so afraid to fail that you always seem to choose the safe path. You’ve got work to do—don’t run away from it.
4. I hope you tell your parents you love them more often. They don’t know how much they mean to you, and that’s a shame.
5. I hope you live closer to family. You made your mom really sad when you took that job in California. She smiled and said she was happy for you, but it was that sad smile that her parents gave her when she left for college in America. The smile of losing a child to a new world. Don’t let that be the case.
6. I hope you got closer to Sonali. Sibling love is special, but you’ve allowed your competitiveness to get in the way of that at times. I hope you’ve gotten past that and embraced each other in a new light. You can learn a lot from her.
7. I hope you’re working on something that feels meaningful. I don’t even know what that means, to be honest, but I guess it’s something like enjoying a random Tuesday.
8. I hope the friends you love and care about are all healthy and thriving. I know that’s probably impossible, so I guess I hope the friends you love and care about [know] you love and care about them. That’s all that matters in the end.
9. And finally, I hope you’ve had a little bit of fun along the way.
That’s all for now. I don’t know how you sign off a letter like this. Goodbye for now, I guess.
Sahil
2014年1月1日 嘿,老爸——如果你在读这封信,说明你还活着,所以恭喜你,我想。我即将毕业,步入社会,不管这意味着什么,所以我觉得现在是时候许下一些对未来的期许了:1. 我希望你娶了伊丽莎白。说真的,我希望你没搞砸。她是你生命中最美好的事情。2. 我希望你现在已经有孩子了。我不想生孩子,但我估计以后长大后可能会改变主意。如果你有孩子,我希望你是个好爸爸。如果你能有你爸爸一半那么好,你就很棒了。3. 我真心希望你已经有所成长,成熟了。你有很多事情瞒着别人。你缺乏安全感。你总是和别人比较,却不和自己比较。你太害怕失败了,所以总是选择最安全的道路。你还有工作要做——别逃避。4. 我希望你更常对父母说“我爱你”。他们不知道他们对你有多重要,这很可惜。5. 我希望你离家人更近一些。你去加州工作时,你妈妈真的很伤心。她笑着说为你高兴,但那笑容里带着她父母当年送她去美国上大学时那种悲伤的笑容。那是孩子离开家去新世界的悲伤笑容。别让这种情况再次发生。6. 我希望你和索娜莉的关系更亲密了。手足之情很特别,但你有时让竞争心阻碍了这种感情。我希望你们已经克服了这一点,以全新的视角看待彼此。你可以从她身上学到很多东西。7. 我希望你在做一些有意义的事情。说实话,我也不知道那意味着什么,但我猜大概就是享受一个普通的星期二吧。 8. 我希望你爱的、关心的朋友们都健康快乐。我知道这可能不太现实,所以我只希望你爱的、关心的朋友们知道你爱他们、关心他们。毕竟,这才是最重要的。9. 最后,我希望你一路走来也过得愉快。就写到这里吧。我不知道该怎么给这样的信结尾。那就先这样吧。萨希尔
The raw voice of my younger self coming through the words felt jarring. As I reread the letter, one conclusion screamed off the page:
信中字里行间透出的年少时的稚嫩嗓音,让我感到一阵刺痛。当我重读这封信时,一个结论跃然纸上:
The answers are within you—you just haven’t found the right questions yet.
答案就在你心中——你只是还没有找到正确的问题。
I was as dumb, arrogant, and insecure as they come when I wrote those words in 2014, but the letter reveals a wisdom and clarity that I had yet to act on. I knew there was a brighter path ahead. I just had to start asking the right questions to begin walking it.
2014年写下这些话时,我愚蠢、傲慢、缺乏安全感,简直无与伦比。但这封信却展现了我当时尚未付诸行动的智慧和清醒的头脑。我知道前方有一条更光明的道路,我只需要开始问对问题,就能踏上这条路。
This book does not have the answers—you already have them within you.
这本书里没有答案——答案其实就在你心中。
It will help you ask the right questions.
它能帮助你提出正确的问题。
Before you continue, sit down and write a letter to your future self—ten years from now, five years from now, three years from now, whatever. Reflect on where you are and where you hope to be when you open the letter. Vividly imagine that desired future.
在继续之前,请坐下来给未来的自己写一封信——十年后的自己、五年后的自己、三年后的自己,或者任何你认为合适的时间。思考一下你现在身处何方,以及你希望打开这封信时身处何方。生动地想象你渴望的未来。
The letter is your true north.
这封信就是你的指路明灯。
This imagined future is yours to create. You have the answers; it’s time to start asking the right questions to turn this imagined future into reality.
这个想象中的未来由你来创造。你拥有答案;现在是时候提出正确的问题,将这个想象中的未来变成现实了。
The years go by, as quickly as a wink
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think
—Guy Lombardo, “Enjoy Yourself (It’s Later Than You Think)”
岁月如梭,转瞬即逝。尽情享受吧,尽情享受吧,时间比你想象的要快得多——盖伊·隆巴多,《尽情享受吧(时间比你想象的要快得多)》
In early 2019, Alexis Lockhart was living a happy, ordinary life in Houston, Texas. The mother of three boys, ages twenty-three, nineteen, and eleven, she possessed a rare stoic awareness that her time with her sons was fleeting.
2019年初,艾莉克丝·洛克哈特在德克萨斯州休斯顿过着幸福而平凡的生活。作为三个男孩的母亲,他们分别23岁、19岁和11岁,她有着一种罕见的坚忍,她清楚地意识到与儿子们相处的时光转瞬即逝。
“Since they were young, I had been saying that you don’t get your children for eighteen years, you get them for about twelve or thirteen, if you’re lucky. After they cross that line, you become a chauffeur, a taxi, and a hotel—they need food, a bed, and transportation to events with friends, sports, school activities, and, soon enough, jobs and dates.”
“从他们小时候起,我就一直跟他们说,你不可能拥有孩子十八年,如果你幸运的话,大概只能拥有十二三年。一旦他们过了那个年纪,你就变成了司机、出租车司机和酒店——他们需要食物、床铺,以及参加各种活动(比如和朋友聚会、运动、学校活动),很快,他们还需要工作和约会。”
It was that awareness that led Alexis to take advantage of every moment—of the precious time she did have with her growing boys. During spring break of that year, she surprised them with a ski trip to Colorado, a trip she called “a huge treat,” since her older sons were either working or in school at the time. Reminiscing about the adventure, Alexis broke into a smile. “It was the trip of a lifetime; many memories were made.”
正是这种意识让艾莉克丝格外珍惜与她正在成长的儿子们相处的每一刻。那年春假期间,她给了他们一个惊喜,带他们去科罗拉多滑雪。她称这次旅行是“一份巨大的礼物”,因为她的大儿子们当时要么在工作,要么在上学。回忆起那次旅行,艾莉克丝脸上露出了笑容。“那是一次毕生难忘的旅行,留下了许多美好的回忆。”
A few weeks later, following her mantra of embracing every moment, Lockhart threw a small birthday party for her middle son, Jackson. “Even though he was ‘too old’ for cakes and parties, we had a family celebration with presents, a cookie cake, and candles. We celebrated him. ”
几周后,秉持着珍惜每一刻的信念,洛克哈特为她的二儿子杰克逊举办了一个小型生日派对。“虽然他‘年纪太大’,不适合吃蛋糕和参加派对,但我们还是为他举办了一个家庭庆祝活动,有礼物、饼干蛋糕和蜡烛。我们为他庆祝了生日。”
Everything was right in her world. Until it wasn’t.
她的世界原本一切都很美好。直到有一天,一切都变了。
On May 23, 2019, the unthinkable happened: Jackson was killed in a tragic motorcycle accident, just days after celebrating his twentieth birthday.
2019 年 5 月 23 日,发生了一件令人难以置信的事情:杰克逊在一场悲惨的摩托车事故中丧生,而就在几天前,他刚刚庆祝了自己的 20 岁生日。
When I received an email from Alexis in April 2024 telling me this story, it stopped me in my tracks. As a new father, I could not even bear to imagine the pain she felt in losing a child. When we spoke later, she shared photos of her boys, pausing on a photo of a four-year-old Jackson and smiling broadly. “I cannot tell you how happy he was as a little kid. He never lost that.
2024年4月,我收到艾莉克丝的邮件,讲述了这个故事,我顿时震惊不已。作为一个新手爸爸,我根本无法想象她失去孩子的痛苦。后来我们通话时,她给我看了她儿子们的照片,照片上是四岁的杰克逊,她停顿了一下,脸上露出灿烂的笑容。“我无法形容他小时候有多快乐。他从未失去过这份快乐。”
“Always remember,” she said, “everyone we love, they are on loan to us for a short period of time. They are gone in the blink of an eye. ”
“永远记住,”她说,“我们所爱的每个人,都只是暂时借给我们的。他们转眼间就会消失。”
The American Time Use Survey is a comprehensive national survey conducted annually by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics since 2003. The aim of the survey is to provide information on how people allocate their time across a variety of activities, including paid work, household work, caregiving, active and passive leisure, personal care, and more. It’s unique in that it records real-time responses from participants throughout the day, meaning it comes as close as possible to logging how people spend their time—and whom they spend it with—on an average day.
美国时间利用调查是由美国劳工统计局自2003年起每年进行的一项全国性综合调查。该调查旨在了解人们如何分配时间,涵盖有偿工作、家务劳动、照护、主动和被动休闲、个人护理等各种活动。其独特之处在于,它记录参与者全天的实时反馈,这意味着它能够尽可能真实地反映人们在日常生活中如何支配时间以及与谁共度时光。
In November 2022, I discovered the dataset [1] and was hit by a tidal wave of emotions.
2022 年 11 月,我发现了数据集[1],并被各种复杂的情绪所震撼。
The discovery came at the right moment: My son was six months old, and becoming a father had changed a lot of things about my life. My relationship with time—specifically, my awareness of the passage of time —had fundamentally morphed, from one of naïve ignorance to one of anxious understanding. As a parent, you learn to track and measure time in the weeks and months of your children’s lives. You grow so accustomed to reciting their ages in these terms that it becomes second nature.
这个发现来得正是时候:我的儿子六个月大,为人父彻底改变了我的生活。我对时间的感知——尤其是对时间流逝的认知——发生了根本性的转变,从最初的懵懂无知变成了如今的焦虑与领悟。为人父母,你会学会用孩子生命中的周、月来记录和衡量时间。你会逐渐习惯用这种方式来描述他们的年龄,以至于这成了你的第二天性。
These markers create a stark awareness of lost time—of the moments you will never get back.
这些标记让人强烈意识到逝去的时间——那些你永远无法重来的时光。
For me, the data further illuminated a harsh reality of the fading, ephemeral character of time—that the passage of each week and month brought us closer to the end of a chapter of life that we would never be able to reopen.
对我来说,这些数据进一步揭示了时间消逝、短暂的残酷现实——每一周、每一个月的流逝都让我们离人生中一个永远无法重开的篇章的结束更近一步。
There are specific windows—much shorter than you care to imagine or admit—during which certain people and relationships will occupy your life. You may have only one more summer with all of your siblings, two more trips with that old group of friends, a few more years with your wise old aunt, a handful of encounters with that coworker you love, or one more long walk with your parents. If you fail to appreciate or recognize these windows, they will quickly disappear.
人生中存在一些特定的窗口期——远比你想象或承认的要短暂得多——在这些窗口期内,某些人和事将占据你的生活。你可能只剩下一个夏天可以和兄弟姐妹们一起度过,和老朋友们一起旅行两次,和睿智的老姑妈再相处几年,和心仪的同事偶遇几次,或者和父母一起散步一次。如果你不珍惜或忽视这些窗口期,它们就会迅速消失。
Here are the six graphs of the data that everyone needs to see:
以下是每个人都需要看到的六张数据图表:
Time spent with your parents and siblings peaks in childhood and declines sharply after you reach age twenty. As you leave home and get caught up in your own life, you often fail to recognize that the time you have remaining with your family is so very limited. Cherish these relationships while you can.
与父母兄弟姐妹相处的时间在童年时期最为充裕,二十岁以后便会急剧减少。当你离开家,忙于自己的生活时,往往会忽略与家人相处的时光是多么有限。所以,请珍惜当下,好好珍惜这些亲情。
Time spent with your children peaks in the early years of their lives and declines sharply thereafter. There’s a devastatingly short window during which you are your child’s entire world. Don’t blink and miss it.
陪伴孩子的时间在他们生命最初的几年达到顶峰,之后便急剧减少。你就是孩子整个世界的这段时光短暂得令人心碎。千万不要错过。
Time spent with your friends peaks when you’re eighteen and then declines sharply to a low baseline. In your youth, you spend a lot of time with a lot of friends. As you enter adulthood, you spend a little bit of time with a few close friends. Embrace the breadth of friendships that comes with youth and prioritize the depth of friendships that should come with age.
与朋友相处的时间在十八岁时达到顶峰,之后急剧下降至较低水平。年轻时,你和很多朋友朝夕相处。步入成年后,你与少数几个知己好友相处的时间则相对较少。珍惜青春时期广交朋友的时光,并重视随着年龄增长而加深的友谊。
Time spent with your partner trends up until death. The person you choose to confront life’s ups and downs with will have the largest impact on your happiness and fulfillment. Choose wisely.
与伴侣相处的时间会持续到生命终结。你选择与谁共度人生起伏,将对你的幸福和满足感产生最大的影响。请慎重选择。
Time spent with coworkers is steady during the traditional prime working years, from age twenty to age sixty, and declines sharply thereafter. Work will pull you away from your family and loved ones throughout your life. If you have the luxury of choice, make sure you choose work—and coworkers—that you find meaningful and important. Aim to have coworkers who create energy in your life.
在传统的黄金工作年龄段(20岁到60岁),与同事相处的时间比较稳定,之后则会急剧减少。工作会终生占用你陪伴家人和爱人的时间。如果你有选择的余地,务必选择那些你认为有意义且重要的工作和同事。争取拥有能为你的生活注入活力的同事。
Time spent alone steadily increases throughout your life. When you’re young, you tend to view time alone as a sign of not fitting in. You come to fear time alone, to fear boredom. But you need to learn to cherish it. Find happiness and joy in the time you have to yourself—there will be more of it as you get older.
随着年龄增长,独处的时间会逐渐增多。年轻时,你往往会把独处视为格格不入的标志。你会害怕独处,害怕无聊。但你需要学会珍惜独处时光。在独处的时光里寻找快乐和幸福——随着年龄增长,独处的时间会越来越多。
Here are six key lessons for life:
以下是人生六大重要教训:
Family time is finite—cherish it.
与家人共度的时光有限,要好好珍惜。
Children time is precious—be present.
孩子的时光很宝贵——请陪伴在他们身边。
Friend time is limited—prioritize the real friends.
陪伴朋友的时间有限——要优先考虑真正的朋友。
Partner time is meaningful—never settle.
伴侣相处的时间很有意义——永远不要将就。
Coworker time is significant—find energy.
与同事共事的时间很重要——要找到精力。
Alone time is abundant—love yourself.
独处的时间很多——要爱自己。
It doesn’t matter where you’re from, how old you are, or whether you’re rich or poor—time is a universal truth and struggle.
无论你来自哪里,年龄多大,贫穷还是富有——时间都是普遍存在的真理和挑战。
In 2015, author Tim Urban published a blog post titled “The Tail End” in which he framed time in the context of the limited number of opportunities you’ll have to see someone again. His conclusion, which is echoed by the lessons of the American Time Use Survey graphs: “Despite not being at the end of your life, you may very well be nearing the end of your time with some of the most important people in your life.” [2]
2015 年,作家蒂姆·厄本发表了一篇题为《尾声》的博文,文中他从有限的重逢机会的角度探讨了时间的意义。他的结论与美国时间利用调查图表所揭示的结论不谋而合:“即使你尚未走到生命的尽头,你与生命中一些最重要的人相处的时间也可能即将走到尽头。”[2]
Writer and philosopher Sam Harris once said, “No matter how many times you do something, there will come a day when you do it for the last time.” [3]
作家兼哲学家萨姆·哈里斯曾说过:“无论你做某件事多少次,总有一天你会最后一次做这件事。”[3]
There will be a last time your kids want you to read them a bedtime story, a last time you’ll go for a long walk with your sibling, a last time you’ll hug your parents at a family gathering, a last time your friend will call you for support.
这将是孩子们最后一次想让你给他们讲睡前故事,这将是你最后一次和兄弟姐妹一起散步,这将是你最后一次在家庭聚会上拥抱你的父母,这将是你的朋友最后一次打电话给你寻求支持。
How many moments do you really have remaining with your loved ones? It’s probably not as many as you’d like to believe. All the tiny moments, people, and experiences that we take for granted will eventually be ones we wish we had more of.
你究竟还能和挚爱之人共度多少时光?或许远没有你想象的那么多。所有那些我们习以为常的细微瞬间、人物和经历,最终都会成为我们渴望拥有的。
Once you embrace this harsh reality, investing in your Time Wealth means using the awareness of time’s impermanence to spark action. It is building the power to direct your attention to the things that truly matter (and ignoring the rest). It is achieving control over your time—how you spend it, where you spend it, and whom you spend it with.
一旦你接受了这个残酷的现实,投资时间财富就意味着利用对时间无常的认知来激发行动。它意味着培养将注意力集中在真正重要的事情上(并忽略其他琐事)的能力。它意味着掌控你的时间——如何支配时间、在哪里支配时间以及与谁共度时光。
Alexis Lockhart had embraced time’s reality well before she experienced the unthinkable loss of her son. Allow her closing wisdom to shine a light on your path, as it did on mine:
在经历失去爱子的无尽悲痛之前,艾莉克丝·洛克哈特早已坦然接受了时间的现实。愿她临终前的智慧之光照亮你的前路,正如它照亮了我的前路一样:
“I once saw a challenge that said, ‘It’s your time to shine! You’ve got the stage, ten thousand people are waiting for you to walk out, you get one sentence. What do you say?’ My answer was and still is ‘It’s later than you think.’ ”
“我曾经看到过一个挑战,上面写着:‘现在是你大放异彩的时候了!你站在舞台上,一万名观众等着你走出来,你只有一句话。你会说什么?’我的回答过去是,现在仍然是:‘时间比你想象的要晚。’”
So it is that we end the chapter where we began, with the lyrics from that poignant song by Guy Lombardo:
所以,我们以盖伊·隆巴多那首感人至深的歌曲的歌词来结束本章,而这首歌也是我们开始的地方:
Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it’s later than you think.
尽情享受吧,尽情享受吧,时间比你想象的要快。
I’ll tell you a secret. Something they don’t teach you in your temple. The gods envy us. They envy us because we’re mortal, because any moment might be our last. Everything is more beautiful because we’re doomed. You will never be lovelier than you are now. We will never be here again.
—Achilles, Troy (2004 film)
我告诉你一个秘密。这是你们神庙里不会教你们的。众神嫉妒我们。他们嫉妒我们,因为我们是凡人,因为每一刻都可能是我们生命的终点。正因为我们注定要死,一切才显得更加美好。你永远不会比现在更美。我们再也不会回到这里了。——阿喀琉斯,《特洛伊》(2004年电影)
In ancient Rome, extravagant celebrations were thrown to commemorate the military victories of the burgeoning empire. The conquering military hero was paraded through streets lined with adoring citizens on an elaborate golden chariot. This special treatment might have made the hero feel untouchable, even immortal. Aware of the human tendency to fall victim to our own pride, the Romans developed a solution to mitigate this immortal sensation: They placed a person alongside the hero in the chariot whose sole responsibility was to whisper an ominous warning in the hero’s ear throughout the parade:
在古罗马,为了纪念新兴帝国的军事胜利,人们会举行盛大的庆典。凯旋的军事英雄会被安置在装饰华丽的金色战车上,在街道两旁挤满崇拜者的民众的簇拥下巡游。这种特殊的待遇或许会让英雄觉得自己高人一等,甚至永生不灭。罗马人深知人类容易被骄傲蒙蔽双眼,因此想出了一个办法来减轻这种永生的感觉:他们在战车上安排一个人陪伴在英雄身边,这个人唯一的职责就是在整个巡游过程中,在英雄耳边低语一句不祥的警告。
Respice post te. Hominem te esse memento. Memento mori!
回头看看。记住你是个男人。记住要死!
Translation: “Look behind. Remember thou art mortal. Remember that you must die!”
译文:“回头看看。记住你终有一死。记住你终有一死!”
A continuous, not-so-subtle reminder of the hero’s own mortality.
不断地、毫不掩饰地提醒英雄,他终有一死。
The concept of memento mori is a staple of Stoic philosophy, a reminder of the certainty and inescapability of death—of time’s inevitable victory over man. In recent years, memento mori has gained a bit of a cult following. The most hardcore use a memento mori calendar to track the passage of the weeks of life. The calendar is a large rectangle made up of tiny circles, fifty-two columns wide and eighty rows long. Each circle represents one week of life; each row represents one year. Followers shade in the circles for each week they have lived, and the calendar provides a stark reminder of the time that has passed and the (average) time remaining.
“死亡提醒”(Memento Mori)是斯多葛哲学的核心概念,它提醒人们死亡的必然性和不可逃避性——时间终将战胜人类。近年来,“死亡提醒”逐渐流行起来,甚至吸引了一批狂热的追随者。一些最虔诚的信徒会使用“死亡提醒”日历来记录生命中的周数。这种日历是一个由无数小圆圈组成的大长方形,宽52列,长80行。每个圆圈代表一周,每一行代表一年。信徒们会在每过一周后,将圆圈涂黑,这样日历便能清晰地提醒他们已经过去了多少时间,以及(平均而言)还剩下多少时间。
Here is what my memento mori calendar looks like at the time of writing. Gulp!
这就是我写这篇文章时留下的死亡警示日历的样子。咕咚!
This may seem dramatic—even morbid—but it’s hardly new. For as long as humans have walked the planet, we have wrestled with the nature of time, a journey that has taken us from worship to measurement to understanding and, now, to a modern desire for control.
这或许听起来有些夸张,甚至有些病态,但其实并非新鲜事。自人类诞生以来,我们就一直在与时间的本质作斗争,这段旅程引领我们从崇拜到计量,再到理解,直至如今,演变为现代人对控制的渴望。
The earliest human societies came to worship and respect the flow and passage of time. In ancient Indian cultures, time was believed to be a circle, a natural, infinite flow from creation to destruction to rebirth. This “wheel of time” (or kalachakra ) concept is found across several religious traditions, including Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. The ancient Mayan civilizations of South and Central America had a similar, cyclical view of time. They believed that sunrise represented renewal, and that the journey of the sun through the sky represented the natural cycle of life and death.
最早的人类社会开始崇拜和尊重时间的流逝。在古印度文化中,人们认为时间是一个循环,是从创造到毁灭再到重生的自然而无限的流动。这种“时间之轮”(或称时轮金刚)的概念存在于多种宗教传统中,包括印度教、耆那教、锡克教和佛教。南美洲和中美洲的古代玛雅文明也持有类似的循环时间观。他们认为日出象征着新生,太阳在天空中的运行轨迹代表着生命与死亡的自然循环。
Many ancient cultures created gods based on the fear of the passage of time and the desire for longevity and personal extension into infinity. The ancient Egyptians worshipped the god Heh, whose name means “flood,” a reference to the watery chaos that they believed preceded the creation of their world. This chaos was understood to be infinite in nature, and the world that followed it was finite, so Heh was viewed as the personification of eternity. In the ancient Zoroastrian tradition, the deity Zurvan was associated with infinite time and space, the creator of the world and all existence. Zurvan was believed to oversee the orderly flow of time and the natural cycle of birth, growth, and death.
许多古代文明都基于对时间流逝的恐惧以及对长寿和生命无限延续的渴望而创造了神祇。古埃及人崇拜赫赫神(Heh),其名字意为“洪水”,指的是他们认为在世界创造之前存在的混沌之水。这种混沌被认为是无限的,而其后的世界是有限的,因此赫赫被视为永恒的化身。在古老的琐罗亚斯德教传统中,祖尔万神(Zurvan)与无限的时间和空间相关联,他是世界和万物的创造者。人们相信祖尔万掌管着时间的有序流动以及生、长、死的自然循环。
The Vikings, known for their physical vitality, often pondered the withering effects of time. Elli was their mythical personification of old age. In a famous tale from Viking folklore, the all-powerful Thor, god of thunder, encounters Elli, an old woman, who challenges him to a wrestling match. Despite the considerable strength difference between the two, Thor is unable to defeat Elli, which is taken as a symbol that old age will eventually triumph over youth. The Vikings believed this was a striking reminder that the passage of time would eventually bring everyone, even the strongest, to their knees.
以体魄强健著称的维京人,常常思考岁月的侵蚀。艾莉是他们神话中衰老的化身。在维京民间传说中一个著名的故事里,雷神托尔遇到了一位名叫艾莉的老妇人,她向托尔发起摔跤挑战。尽管两人力量悬殊,托尔却无法战胜艾莉,这被视为衰老终将战胜青春的象征。维京人相信,这是一个令人警醒的故事,提醒他们时间的流逝最终会让所有人,即使是最强壮的人,也难逃衰老的命运。
As human civilization progressed, humanity’s relationship with time transitioned from worship to measurement —with a focus on tracking and management. The earliest known clocks were sundials used by the ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. These instruments used the position of the sun to cast a shadow on a marked and labeled surface, indicating the time of day. They were followed by water and sand clocks, which measured time by the water or sand that trickled out of a tiny hole at one end of the device.
随着人类文明的进步,人类与时间的关系从崇拜转变为计量——重点在于追踪和管理。已知最早的钟表是古希腊人、罗马人和埃及人使用的日晷。这些仪器利用太阳的位置在标有标记的表面上投射阴影来指示时间。之后出现了水钟和沙钟,它们通过从装置一端的小孔中流出的水或沙子来计时。
In eleventh-century China, a team of engineers developed a towering forty-foot water clock that used falling water and a unique bucket mechanism; when a bucket reached capacity, a lever was tripped, the bucket moved, and the water started to fill the next bucket, providing a reasonably accurate measurement of time.
11 世纪的中国,一群工程师发明了一种高达 40 英尺的水钟,它利用落水和独特的水桶机制;当一个水桶装满时,一个杠杆就会被触发,水桶移动,水开始流入下一个水桶,从而可以相当准确地测量时间。
A major advancement in clock technology occurred in 1927, when a Canadian engineer named Warren Marrison invented the quartz clock. The quartz clock uses the precise vibrations of a quartz crystal hit with an electrical current to track and measure time and remains the most common type of modern clock, over a hundred years later. The atomic clock is the most recent advancement in clock technology—it uses the vibrations of atoms to measure time. Atomic clocks are so accurate that they won’t stray by a single second over ten billion years.
1927年,加拿大工程师沃伦·马里森发明了石英钟,这是钟表技术的一项重大进步。石英钟利用电流刺激石英晶体产生的精确振动来计时,时至今日,它仍然是最常见的现代钟表类型。原子钟是钟表技术的最新进展——它利用原子的振动来计时。原子钟的精度极高,即使经过一百亿年也不会出现一秒的误差。
As our ability to measure time advanced, a scientific pull to understand time developed. Sir Isaac Newton was the leading proponent of an absolute, universal view on time. He believed that time existed independent of any perceiver, that it was fixed and unchanging across the universe, flowed uniformly, and could only be understood mathematically. Newton’s absolute view on time—now known as Newtonian time—was central to his formulation of the laws of motion and universal gravitation and remained largely unchallenged until the early-twentieth-century arrival of a German theoretical physicist named Albert Einstein.
随着我们测量时间的能力不断进步,人们对理解时间的科学追求也日益强烈。艾萨克·牛顿爵士是绝对的、普遍的时间观的倡导者。他认为时间独立于任何感知者而存在,在宇宙中是固定不变的,以均匀的方式流逝,并且只能用数学方法来理解。牛顿的绝对时间观——如今被称为牛顿时间——是他构建运动定律和万有引力定律的核心,并且在20世纪初德国理论物理学家阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦出现之前,几乎没有受到任何挑战。
Einstein contested the notion of absolute time and proposed the concept of space-time . The idea is that space and time are intimately connected, meaning that time is experienced differently by different observers based on their relative motion and position. His groundbreaking theory of relativity implies that time can move more slowly for a person who is in motion relative to a fixed observer. Put differently, if you were to hop on a galactic spaceship and zip around at close to the speed of light and then return to Earth, you would have aged less than anyone who had stayed put. This theory is vividly brought to life in Christopher Nolan’s space epic Interstellar, in which Matthew McConaughey’s character returns from his space voyage to the jarring reality that he is significantly younger than his daughter.
爱因斯坦质疑绝对时间的概念,并提出了时空理论。这一理论认为空间和时间紧密相连,这意味着不同的观察者会因其相对运动和位置的不同而体验到不同的时间。他开创性的相对论表明,对于相对于固定观察者而言处于运动状态的人来说,时间流逝得更慢。换句话说,如果你乘坐星际飞船以接近光速的速度遨游宇宙,然后再返回地球,你的年龄会比那些留在原地的人要小。克里斯托弗·诺兰的太空史诗巨作《星际穿越》生动地展现了这一理论。影片中,马修·麦康纳饰演的角色结束太空之旅返回地球后,却震惊地发现他比女儿年轻得多。
Our journey from worship to measurement to understanding brings us to the present and our modern desire for control. Humans are living longer than ever before; the average life expectancy around the world has steadily increased for the past two hundred years. [4] We have technology and tools, from machines to computers to AI, that make us more efficient with that time than ever before. But despite all this progress—we have more time and an advanced ability to make productive use of it—the control we seek remains elusive.
我们从崇拜到衡量再到理解的历程,最终将我们带到了当下,以及我们现代人对控制的渴望。人类的寿命比以往任何时候都长;过去两百年来,全球平均预期寿命稳步增长。[4] 我们拥有从机器到计算机再到人工智能的各种技术和工具,使我们比以往任何时候都更有效地利用时间。但是,尽管取得了所有这些进步——我们拥有更多的时间,也拥有更先进的能力来高效利用时间——我们所追求的控制仍然难以捉摸。
To understand this unique modern struggle and to construct a solution, we turn to an unlikely source: one of history’s most famous children’s fantasy novels.
为了理解这种独特的现代斗争并构建解决方案,我们转向了一个意想不到的来源:历史上最著名的儿童奇幻小说之一。
In Through the Looking-Glass —Lewis Carroll’s dark and ominous sequel to Alice in Wonderland —there is a scene in which Alice is running with the Red Queen that offers an important metaphor for our modern struggle with time:
在刘易斯·卡罗尔的《爱丽丝镜中奇遇记》(《爱丽丝梦游仙境》的黑暗而阴森的续集)中,有一个场景是爱丽丝与红皇后一起奔跑,这为我们现代人与时间的斗争提供了一个重要的隐喻:
All she remembers is, that they were running hand in hand, and the Queen went so fast that it was all she could do to keep up with her: and still the Queen kept crying “Faster! Faster!”…The most curious part of the thing was, that the trees and the other things round them never changed their places at all: however fast they went, they never seemed to pass anything.
她只记得,她们手牵着手奔跑,女王跑得飞快,她拼尽全力才勉强跟上;而女王却不停地喊着“快点!快点!”……最奇怪的是,周围的树木和其他东西的位置丝毫没有改变:无论她们跑得多快,似乎都没有超过任何东西。
When Alice questions the Red Queen about their lack of forward progress, which appears to defy the laws of physics, the two have a short yet poignant exchange:
当爱丽丝质问红皇后为何她们的计划迟迟没有进展,这似乎违背了物理定律时,两人进行了一段简短而意味深长的对话:
“Well, in our country,” said Alice, still panting a little, “you’d generally get to somewhere else—if you ran very fast for a long time, as we’ve been doing.”
“A slow sort of country!” said the Queen. “Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place. If you want to get somewhere else, you must run at least twice as fast as that!”
“嗯,在我们国家,”爱丽丝气喘吁吁地说,“只要像我们这样跑得很快很远,通常就能到别的地方。” “真是个慢吞吞的国家!”王后说。“你看,在这里,你得拼命跑才能待在原地。如果你想去别的地方,至少要跑得比现在快两倍!”
The Red Queen Effect says that we must run just to stay in place and that we must run even faster if we ever hope to get ahead. The term was introduced by American biologist Leigh Van Valen in 1973 when he formulated the evolutionary biological hypothesis that a species must evolve if it hopes to survive. If a species fails to evolve faster than its predators, competitors, or environment, it will “fall behind,” fail to develop the necessary traits to survive and thrive, and become extinct. While the evolutionary biological application is interesting, the Red Queen Effect’s application to our modern lives and careers is certainly more relevant to this book (and your life).
红皇后效应指出,我们必须奔跑才能维持现状,而要想脱颖而出,就必须跑得更快。这个术语由美国生物学家利·范·瓦伦于1973年提出,当时他提出了进化生物学假说:物种必须进化才能生存。如果一个物种的进化速度不能超过其捕食者、竞争对手或环境,它就会“落后”,无法发展出生存和繁衍所需的必要特征,最终走向灭绝。虽然进化生物学的应用很有趣,但红皇后效应对我们现代生活和职业生涯的影响无疑与本书(以及你的生活)更为相关。
If you’re reading this book, chances are you’re a victim of the Red Queen’s paradox—running faster and faster just to stay in the same place.
如果你正在读这本书,那么你很可能就是红皇后悖论的受害者——越跑越快,却只能留在原地。
Rest assured, you’re not alone.
请放心,你并不孤单。
During my research process, I heard hundreds of stories from real people who feel the same:
在我的研究过程中,我听到了数百个与我有着相同感受的真实故事:
A mid-forties investment banker who spends most of his time on planes traveling to win new clients and visit existing ones. The lifestyle that was exciting in his twenties and thirties has taken its toll in his forties. “I don’t remember the last time I felt ahead —every morning, I wake up and feel like I’m somehow already behind and need to sprint to catch up.”
一位四十多岁的投资银行家,大部分时间都在飞机上奔波,忙于拓展新客户和拜访老客户。二十多岁和三十多岁时令人向往的生活方式,到了四十多岁却让他疲惫不堪。“我不记得上次感觉自己领先是什么时候了——每天早上醒来,我都感觉自己好像已经落后了,需要拼命追赶。”
A mid-thirties marketing manager whose teenage dream was to live in New York City. Now that she’s there, she finds the constant mad rush overwhelming. She describes her life as a game of Pong, bouncing from emails to meetings to work dinners, rarely finding time for herself. She always answers “Busy” when people ask how she’s doing, and there’s no end in sight, she says: “Even my bosses struggle to find time for life.”
一位三十多岁的市场经理,她年轻时的梦想就是住在纽约。如今她真的来到了这里,却发现这里永无止境的忙碌让她不堪重负。她形容自己的生活就像玩乒乓球游戏,在邮件、会议和工作晚宴之间来回奔波,几乎没有时间留给自己。当别人问她近况如何时,她总是回答“忙”,而且看不到尽头。她说:“就连我的老板们都很难抽出时间来享受生活。”
An early-twenties medical student who finds herself overwhelmed by constant exams and residency interviews. “My parents wanted me to be a doctor, and I thought I wanted the same, but if this is a sign of what’s to come, I’m having second thoughts.”
一位二十出头的医学生发现自己被没完没了的考试和住院医师面试压得喘不过气来。“我的父母希望我当医生,我也曾以为自己想当医生,但如果这是未来生活的预兆,我开始重新考虑了。”
An early-forties mother of two who was previously an executive in the magazine-publishing industry but decided to put her career on hold to raise her two young children. While she finds motherhood deeply fulfilling, she also describes it as never-ending: “Between the meals, activities, cleaning, and bedtime, I’m always behind, never ahead.”
这位四十出头的两个孩子的母亲,之前是杂志出版行业的管理人员,但为了照顾两个年幼的孩子,她决定暂停事业。虽然她觉得做母亲很有成就感,但她也形容这份工作永无止境:“吃饭、活动、打扫卫生、哄睡,我总是忙不过来,从来没有时间可以安排。”
A late-thirties personal trainer and aspiring content creator who enjoys helping people but can’t see a path to scale up his impact, given the fixed nature of his time and commitments. “I’m just feeling trapped, like my time has me in a straitjacket and I’m sinking in the river, but there’s no Houdini magic to break free.”
一位年近四十的私人教练兼内容创作者,他乐于助人,但鉴于时间和精力的固定限制,他看不到扩大自身影响力的途径。“我感觉自己被困住了,就像时间把我束缚在紧身衣里,我正沉入河底,却没有魔术师胡迪尼的魔法让我挣脱。”
One old story puts it this way: When a gazelle wakes up in the morning, it knows it must outrun the lion or be killed, and when a lion wakes up in the morning, it knows it must outrun the gazelle or starve, so whether you’re the gazelle or the lion, when the morning comes, you’d better start running. You’re definitely running, but just like Alice and the Red Queen, it’s unclear whether you’re actually getting anywhere.
有个古老的故事是这样说的:羚羊清晨醒来,知道自己必须跑得比狮子快,否则就会被吃掉;狮子清晨醒来,知道自己必须跑得比羚羊快,否则就会饿死。所以,无论你是羚羊还是狮子,清晨来临,你最好都开始奔跑。你肯定在跑,但就像爱丽丝和红皇后的故事一样,你究竟能跑多远,却不得而知。
In the past month, how many times have you said some variation of “Busy!” when asked how you’re doing? I’m willing to bet the number is high—probably much higher than you’d like to admit. The problem: You want to take control, but with an old scoreboard entirely focused on Financial Wealth as the measure of your worth, if you’re anything other than “Busy!” you’re considered a failure. Society assures you that it’s okay to feel time-poor as long as it’s a by-product of a chase for more money. Busy has become standard fare, equal parts reality and pseudo-dystopian status symbol. The invisible hand is silently increasing the speed on your treadmill.
过去一个月里,当被问及近况如何时,你回答“忙!”的次数有多少?我敢打赌,肯定不少——可能比你愿意承认的要多得多。问题在于:你想掌控自己的生活,但过去那种以财富衡量价值的旧标准,如果你不是“忙!”,就会被视为失败者。社会告诉你,只要是为了追求更多金钱而感到时间不够用,那也无妨。“忙”已经成了标配,既是现实,又是一种伪反乌托邦式的身份象征。一只看不见的手正在悄无声息地加快你跑步机的速度。
Ironically, that busyness, and the scattered attention it creates, is the very reason you lack control over your time—it is the maker of the modern struggle.
具有讽刺意味的是,这种忙碌以及由此造成的注意力分散,正是你无法掌控自己时间的原因——它是现代社会斗争的根源。
Your attention is more divided than ever. Even as you’re reading these words on the importance of attention, you’re probably feeling the urge to grab your smartphone. The concept of attention residue was first identified by University of Washington business professor Sophie Leroy in 2009. In the original paper, Dr. Leroy defines attention residue as “the persistence of cognitive activity about a Task A even though one stopped working on Task A and currently performs a Task B.” [5] In other words, there is a cognitive switching cost to shifting your attention from one task to another. When your attention is shifted, there is a residue of it that remains with the prior task and impairs your cognitive performance on the new task. You may think your attention has fully shifted to the new task, but your brain has a lag. That lag has become even more prominent in the modern digital world, where you carry (and wear) multiple devices and tools that constantly pull on your attention with their notifications, beeps, and alluring lights.
你的注意力比以往任何时候都更加分散。即使你正在阅读这些关于注意力重要性的文字,你可能也正忍不住想要拿起手机。注意力残留的概念最早由华盛顿大学商学院教授索菲·勒罗伊 (Sophie Leroy) 于 2009 年提出。在她的论文中,勒罗伊博士将注意力残留定义为“即使停止执行任务 A 并开始执行任务 B,关于任务 A 的认知活动仍然存在”。[5] 换句话说,将注意力从一项任务转移到另一项任务会产生认知转换成本。当你的注意力转移时,之前的任务会残留一些信息,从而影响你在新任务上的认知表现。你可能认为你的注意力已经完全转移到了新任务上,但你的大脑存在延迟。在现代数字世界中,这种延迟变得更加明显,因为你携带(甚至佩戴)着各种设备和工具,它们不断地通过通知、提示音和诱人的灯光来分散你的注意力。
It’s easy to find examples of this effect in your own life:
这种效应在你自己生活中很容易找到例子:
You have back-to-back meetings and find yourself still thinking about the prior meeting in the current one.
你连续参加多个会议,却发现自己在当前的会议中仍然想着上一个会议的内容。
You rush from one kid’s activity to another’s but can’t remember exactly how you got there.
你匆匆忙忙地从一个孩子的活动赶到另一个孩子的活动现场,却记不清自己是怎么到那儿的。
An email notification pops up and completely derails your focus on the current task.
一封电子邮件通知突然弹出,完全打断了你对当前任务的专注。
You check your phone under your desk during a lecture and find yourself unable to refocus on the professor’s words.
你在上课时偷偷查看桌子底下的手机,结果发现自己无法集中注意力听教授讲课。
You’re having a conversation with a friend or partner, but your mind is on the work email you just received, not on what the other person is saying.
你正在和朋友或伴侣交谈,但你的心思却放在刚刚收到的工作邮件上,而不是对方在说什么。
The research indicates that it doesn’t seem to matter whether the task switch is macro (that is, moving from one major task to the next) or micro (that is, pausing one major task for a quick check on some minor task). Stopping to check your email or messages is just as bad as jumping from one major project to another. Bestselling author Cal Newport puts it well when he talks about the cultural propensity to “just check” on phone or email notifications: “If, like most, you rarely go more than 10–15 minutes without a just check, you have effectively put yourself in a persistent state of self-imposed cognitive handicap. The flip side, of course, is to imagine the relative cognitive enhancement that would follow by minimizing this effect.” [6]
研究表明,任务切换是宏观的(即从一项主要任务切换到另一项主要任务)还是微观的(即暂停一项主要任务,快速查看一些次要任务),似乎都无关紧要。停下来查看电子邮件或消息与从一个主要项目跳到另一个主要项目一样糟糕。畅销书作家卡尔·纽波特在谈到人们“查看手机或电子邮件通知”的文化倾向时,对此做了很好的阐述:“如果你像大多数人一样,每隔10-15分钟就忍不住查看一下,那么你实际上已经让自己陷入了一种持续的自我认知障碍状态。当然,反过来想想,如果尽量减少这种影响,认知能力将会得到怎样的提升。”[6]
The consequences of the modern struggle—of perpetual busyness, digital alerts, and scattered attention—are dire. In Time Smart, Ashley Whillans, a researcher and professor at Harvard Business School, notes the steep costs of time poverty on the individual: “The data I and others have amassed show a correlation between time poverty and misery. People who are time poor are less happy, less productive, and more stressed out. They exercise less, eat fattier food, and have a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease.”
现代人忙碌不堪、数字警报不断、注意力分散,这种生活方式带来的后果不堪设想。哈佛商学院研究员兼教授阿什利·惠兰斯在其著作《时间管理之道》中指出,时间匮乏给个人带来了沉重的代价:“我和其他学者收集的数据表明,时间匮乏与痛苦之间存在关联。时间匮乏的人幸福感更低、效率更低、压力更大。他们运动量更少,摄入更多高脂肪食物,患心血管疾病的风险也更高。”
In a 2009 survey, 75 percent of British parents said they were too busy to read bedtime stories to their children. [7] According to a 2021 report from the email platform Superhuman, 82 percent of knowledge workers check their email within the first thirty minutes of waking up, and 39 percent check within the first five minutes. [8] Eighty-four percent of U.S. executives have canceled a vacation to work. [9] An astounding 80 percent of professionals say they simply don’t have time to do everything they want to do. [10] Where children of prior generations were encouraged to explore their curiosity, children of the current generation are told to fill their résumés with every possible after-school activity and hour of faux community service, all in the hope of running just a tiny bit faster than the others sprinting toward the same end.
2009年的一项调查显示,75%的英国父母表示他们太忙,没时间给孩子讲睡前故事。[7] 根据电子邮件平台Superhuman在2021年发布的一份报告,82%的知识工作者会在起床后的前30分钟内查看电子邮件,39%的人会在5分钟内查看。[8] 84%的美国高管曾为了工作取消假期。[9] 令人震惊的是,80%的专业人士表示他们根本没有时间做所有想做的事情。[10] 前几代的孩子被鼓励去探索自己的好奇心,而现在的孩子却被告知要把所有可能的课外活动和虚假的社区服务都塞进简历里,只为了比那些朝着同一目标奔跑的人快一点点。
You have more time than your ancestors but less control over how you spend it. You have more time, but somehow you have less time for the things that truly matter to you.
你比你的祖先拥有更多的时间,但却更难掌控如何支配这些时间。你拥有更多的时间,但不知何故,你却没有更多时间去做那些对你真正重要的事情。
It takes all the running we can do to keep in the same place.
我们必须拼尽全力才能留在原地。
You’re running faster and for longer, but you’re not getting anywhere—at least not anywhere worth going.
你跑得更快更久了,但你却原地踏步——至少没有到达任何值得去的地方。
But there is a solution.
但解决办法是有的。
From a scientific perspective, Albert Einstein’s theory that time is relative was revolutionary, but from a philosophical perspective, the notion that not all time is equal has been around for thousands of years. The ancient Greeks had two different words for time: chronos and kairos . Chronos refers to sequential, quantitative time—the natural sequence and flow of equal parts of time. Kairos refers to a more fluctuating, qualitative time—the idea that certain moments are weightier than others, that not all time is the same. Kairos brings to life the notion that time does more than simply pass and flow, that it has substance, texture, and weight, but only if we are perceptive enough to recognize it (and capitalize on it). Kairos suggests that specific moments have unique properties—that the right action in the right moment can create outsized results and growth.
从科学角度来看,阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦关于时间相对性的理论具有革命性意义;但从哲学角度来看,并非所有时间都相同这一观念已存在数千年之久。古希腊人用两个不同的词来表示时间:chronos 和 kairos。Chronos 指的是顺序的、量化的时间——时间自然而然地按顺序和流逝,各个部分相等。Kairos 指的是一种更具波动性和质性的时间——某些时刻比其他时刻更重要,并非所有时间都相同。Kairos 生动地展现了时间不仅仅是流逝和流动,它还具有实质、质感和分量,但这只有在我们足够敏锐地感知到它(并加以利用)时才能实现。Kairos 表明,特定的时刻具有独特的属性——在正确的时刻采取正确的行动可以创造巨大的成果和发展。
Case in point: The charts from the previous chapter show that not all time is equal. There are windows and moments of particular importance— kairos time—when energy can be invested with the greatest possible return.
举例来说:上一章的图表显示,并非所有时间都同等重要。有些时间窗口和时刻——即“卡伊洛斯时间”——尤为重要,在这些时刻投入精力可以获得最大的回报。
This insight is the foundation for the solution to the modern struggle: Identify those moments of greatest time leverage and direct your attention to them.
这一洞见是解决现代社会困境的基础:找出时间优势最大的时刻,并将注意力集中于此。
You don’t have to feel behind. You can get ahead.
你不必觉得自己落后了。你可以超越他们。
It’s time to stop running faster and start running smarter.
是时候停止追求速度,开始追求智慧了。
Dave Prout is a seasoned video-game industry executive with over twenty years of experience; he has conceived, designed, developed, and launched some of the world’s most popular games, such as Call of Duty, Halo, and Medal of Honor. He was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, but, like many children, he left home at age eighteen and never moved back. He built a life in Austin, Texas, a city he grew to love for its space and relatively low cost of living, which made it possible for him to raise his four children the way he desired.
戴夫·普劳特是一位经验丰富的电子游戏行业高管,拥有超过二十年的从业经验。他曾构思、设计、开发并发行过一些全球最受欢迎的游戏,例如《使命召唤》、《光环》和《荣誉勋章》。他出生于华盛顿州西雅图,并在那里长大。但和许多孩子一样,他十八岁就离开了家,之后再也没有回去过。他在德克萨斯州奥斯汀安家落户,这座城市空间宽敞,生活成本相对较低,他逐渐爱上了这里,也因此能够按照自己的意愿抚养四个孩子。
His parents had stayed in Seattle, and given all of the various life commitments that had accumulated, Dave told me he was seeing them only about twice each year. His mother had been diagnosed with cancer in 2020, but he and the rest of the family assumed she would be fine, with the quality of the care she would receive. By early 2022, the treatments had sent the cancer into remission several times, but in each instance, it came back.
他的父母一直留在西雅图,由于各种生活琐事缠身,戴夫告诉我他每年只能见他们两次左右。他的母亲在2020年被诊断出癌症,但他和家人都认为,以她能得到的医疗水平,她应该会没事的。到了2022年初,治疗使癌症数次缓解,但每次都复发了。
In May 2022, with his mother undergoing another round of treatment in Seattle, Dave was scrolling through Twitter when he came across a post I had written on the platform:
2022年5月,戴夫的母亲在西雅图接受新一轮治疗期间,戴夫正在浏览推特,偶然看到了我在该平台上发布的一条帖子:
“Call your parents more often—they won’t be around forever. When you’re young and arrogant, death is a theoretical construct. Realize the people you love won’t be there forever. If your parents are 60 and you visit once a year, you may only see them 20 more times in your life.”
“多给父母打电话——他们不会永远在你身边。年轻气盛的时候,死亡只是一个理论概念。要明白,你爱的人不会永远在你身边。如果你的父母60岁了,你一年只去看望他们一次,那么你这辈子可能只能再见到他们20次了。”
Upon reading it, Dave thought to himself, Man, I wonder what that number would be for me. Realizing the finite nature of the time he had left with them, particularly given his mother’s most recent cancer recurrence, he decided he had to make a change.
读完之后,戴夫心想:天哪,我不知道这个数字对我来说会是多少。意识到自己和家人相处的时间有限,尤其是考虑到母亲最近癌症复发,他决定必须做出改变。
“I started to travel to see my parents every six weeks the rest of that year. I got in several visits in 2022 that wouldn’t have happened if not for seeing that post.”
“在那一年剩下的时间里,我开始每隔六周就去看望父母。如果不是看到那篇帖子,我在2022年不可能去看望他们好几次。”
Unfortunately, in January 2023, a team of doctors informed the family that there was nothing more they could do for his mother. Rather than transition into hospice care, she returned to their childhood home to live out whatever time she had remaining. Dave accelerated the cadence of his visits as the family took turns caring for his mother and supporting his father through the end.
不幸的是,2023年1月,医生团队告知家属,他们已无力回天。母亲没有转入临终关怀中心,而是回到了儿时的家,在那里度过余生。戴夫加快了探望的次数,家人轮流照顾母亲,陪伴父亲走完人生最后一程。
On May 28, 2023, Dave Prout’s mother passed away peacefully in her home. Tragically and beautifully, the date was his parents’ wedding anniversary. A few hours after she passed, Dave went on a long walk to process his sadness. “I noticed what a beautiful spring day it was. I just felt so much gratitude that she was able to pass on her terms, at her home, her family all there, and with the weather as pretty as it was. It was, in a sense, kind of perfect.”
2023年5月28日,戴夫·普劳特的母亲在家中安详离世。令人悲痛又欣慰的是,这一天恰好是他父母的结婚纪念日。母亲去世几个小时后,戴夫独自散步,试图平复心中的悲伤。“我注意到那天春光明媚,阳光明媚。我由衷地感激她能够按照自己的意愿,在家人的陪伴下,在如此美好的天气中安详地离世。从某种意义上说,这或许是完美的。”
Later that day, sharing the sad news on Twitter, Prout referenced my May 2022 post while reflecting on the time that was created with his mother through the increased visit frequency:
当天晚些时候,普劳特在推特上分享了这个令人悲伤的消息,他在回顾因探望母亲而增加的探望次数所创造的时光时,提到了我2022年5月的帖子:
“Thanks to this thread, I started visiting my parents more often last year…. My mom passed away this morning. Thanks to this I visited my mom and dad at least 2x more often than I would have otherwise. Probably 10 visits total. Because of this, I now have a whole set of memories of my mom, not just the tough ones from the last few weeks as she got weaker.”
“多亏了这个帖子,我去年开始更频繁地去看望父母……我妈妈今天早上去世了。也正因为如此,我去看望父母的次数至少是平时的两倍,总共大概去了十次。因此,我现在拥有了关于妈妈的完整回忆,而不仅仅是她最后几周身体越来越虚弱时那些艰难的记忆。”
This story offers a perfect introduction to the three core pillars of Time Wealth:
这个故事完美地引出了时间财富的三大核心支柱:
Awareness: An understanding of the finite, impermanent nature of time
觉知:对时间有限、无常本质的理解
Attention: The ability to direct your attention and focus on the things that matter (and ignore the rest)
注意力:将注意力集中于重要事情上(并忽略其他事情)的能力。
Control: The freedom to own your time and choose exactly how to spend it
掌控权:自由支配自己的时间,并决定如何度过这段时间。
The three pillars of Time Wealth—awareness, attention, and control—are individually important, but are best thought of as a progression: awareness first, attention next, control last. Each pillar builds on and is a by-product of the foundation established by the others. From awareness (developing an understanding of the fleeting time remaining) to attention (narrowing the aperture to focus on the things that truly matter) to control (allocating time according to goals and values), Dave Prout cultivated his Time Wealth—and you can too.
时间财富的三大支柱——觉察、专注和掌控——各自都很重要,但最好将它们视为一个循序渐进的过程:先是觉察,然后是专注,最后是掌控。每一支柱都建立在其他支柱的基础上,并成为其成果。从觉察(了解剩余时间的流逝)到专注(缩小视野,专注于真正重要的事情),再到掌控(根据目标和价值观分配时间),戴夫·普劳特逐步积累了他的时间财富——你也可以做到。
As you measure Time Wealth, the three pillars provide a blueprint for the right action to build it. By developing an understanding of these pillars and the high-leverage systems that affect them, you can begin to create the right outcomes.
在衡量时间财富时,三大支柱为构建时间财富提供了正确的行动蓝图。通过深入了解这些支柱以及影响它们的高杠杆系统,你就能开始创造理想的结果。
Awareness is characterized by the understanding and appreciation of the impermanent, precious nature of time—of its tangible value and importance as an asset. Graham Duncan, an investor and cofounder of East Rock Capital, coined the term time billionaire to refer to someone with over one billion seconds remaining in their life. Referring to the concept on an episode of The Tim Ferriss Show podcast in 2019, he said, “We’re so obsessed, as a culture, with money. And we deify dollar billionaires in a way…. And I was thinking of time billionaires that when I see twenty-year-olds—the thought I had was they probably have two billion seconds left. But they aren’t relating to themselves as time billionaires. ”
觉察力体现在对时间无常而珍贵的本质的理解和欣赏——对时间作为一种资产的切实价值和重要性的认识。投资人兼East Rock Capital联合创始人格雷厄姆·邓肯创造了“时间亿万富翁”一词,用来指代那些生命中还剩下超过十亿秒的人。在2019年蒂姆·费里斯播客的一期节目中,他谈到这个概念时说:“作为一个社会,我们对金钱如此痴迷。某种程度上,我们把亿万富翁奉为神明……我想到的是时间亿万富翁,当我看到二十岁的年轻人时,我的想法是他们可能还剩下二十亿秒。但他们并没有把自己视为时间亿万富翁。”
When you’re young, you’re a time billionaire—literally rich with time. At age twenty, you probably have about two billion seconds left (assuming you live to eighty). By fifty, just one billion seconds remain.
年轻的时候,你就是时间亿万富翁——真的拥有亿万时间。20岁时,你大概还剩下20亿秒(假设你能活到80岁)。到了50岁,就只剩下10亿秒了。
When I asked Duncan what sparked the thinking behind the term, he replied that it came to him through the hundreds of interviews he had conducted with young analysts who applied to his firm over the years. “It struck me how they all had this hidden assumption that if they could just make a billion dollars, then they’d be happy. I used to have that assumption too. But then I had the realization that if you went to Warren Buffett and asked him whether he’d trade a billion dollars for a billion seconds, he’d take the time over the money.”
当我问邓肯是什么启发了他提出这个概念时,他回答说,这个想法源于他多年来与数百名应聘他公司的年轻分析师进行的面试。“我惊讶地发现,他们都潜意识里有个假设:只要能赚到十亿美元,他们就心满意足了。我以前也有这种想法。但后来我意识到,如果你去问沃伦·巴菲特,他是否愿意用十亿美元换取十亿秒,他肯定会选择时间而不是金钱。”
Would you trade lives with Warren Buffett? He has a net worth of approximately $130 billion, access to anyone in the world, and spends his days reading and learning. That all sounds great, and yet I’m willing to bet that very few of you would agree to trade lives with him.
你愿意和沃伦·巴菲特交换人生吗?他身价约1300亿美元,可以接触到世界上任何人,而且每天都在阅读和学习。这一切听起来都很棒,但我敢打赌,你们当中很少有人会同意和他交换人生。
Why not? Warren Buffett is, at the time of this writing, ninety-four years old. It doesn’t matter how much money, fame, or access he has—you probably wouldn’t agree to trade your remaining time for his. On the flip side, as Graham Duncan pointed out, there is a decent chance that Buffett would trade all of his billions of dollars to have your time.
为什么不呢?沃伦·巴菲特在撰写本文时已经94岁高龄了。无论他拥有多少财富、名望或人脉——你大概都不会同意用你剩下的时间去换他的时间。另一方面,正如格雷厄姆·邓肯指出的那样,巴菲特很有可能愿意用他所有的数十亿美元来换取你的时间。
This brings a paradox to the surface—one I call the paradox of time: You are subconsciously aware of the immense value of your time, but you regularly and consciously take actions that disregard that value. In his On the Shortness of Life, Seneca wrote, “We are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it.” You know how important your time is, yet you ignore its passage and engage in low-value activities that pull you away from the things that really matter.
这就引出了一个悖论——我称之为时间悖论:你潜意识里意识到时间的巨大价值,却经常有意识地做出无视这种价值的行为。塞内卡在《论生命的短暂》中写道:“我们并非被赋予短暂的生命,而是我们自己缩短了它;我们并非资源匮乏,而是我们浪费了它。” 你明明知道时间有多么宝贵,却忽视了它的流逝,沉迷于低价值的活动,让自己远离真正重要的事情。
The goal is to bring to the surface the awareness of the precious nature of the time you do have. Without this awareness, you will never value time enough until suddenly, at the very end, it will become all that you value.
其目的是让你意识到你所拥有的时间是多么宝贵。如果没有这种意识,你永远不会真正珍惜时间,直到生命尽头,时间才会突然成为你唯一珍视的东西。
Conscious awareness is a necessary first step, but awareness without attention is incomplete. If you want to change your life, you must change your attention.
有意识的觉察是必要的第一步,但缺乏专注的觉察是不完整的。如果你想改变人生,就必须改变你的专注方式。
In 1666, when the bubonic plague was devastating London and its surrounding cities, forcing universities to shut their doors and send students home, a twenty-three-year-old at Trinity College at the University of Cambridge fled to his small village fifty miles away. Just as in the early months of our COVID-19 pandemic, young students were forced by unfortunate circumstances to pause their lives and enter a state of lockdown.
1666年,鼠疫肆虐伦敦及其周边城市,迫使大学关闭校园,学生返乡。当时,剑桥大学三一学院一位23岁的学生逃回了50英里外的小村庄。正如新冠疫情初期的情况一样,年轻的学生们也因不幸的境遇被迫暂停学业,进入了居家隔离状态。
But rather than wallow away while in isolation, this particular bright young man ran with the forced constraint and spent the year in a perpetual state of creative and intellectual flow. Despite the absence of formal educational requirements, he immersed himself in his books, studies, and experiments, pursuing his curiosities with intense focus and fervor.
然而,这位聪颖的年轻人并没有在隔离期间消沉自沉,而是充分利用了这种被迫的限制,整年都保持着旺盛的创造力和求知欲。尽管没有接受正规教育,他仍然全身心地投入到书籍、学习和实验中,以高度的专注和热情追求着自己的好奇心。
During the single year of his confinement, the young student made groundbreaking discoveries in fields across science and mathematics, among them:
在被囚禁的这一年里,这位年轻的学生在科学和数学等多个领域取得了突破性发现,其中包括:
Developing the initial principles of calculus
发展微积分的基本原理
Formulating the law of universal gravitation
阐述万有引力定律
Defining the three fundamental laws of motion
定义三大运动基本定律
Laying the foundation for the understanding of the behavior of light
为理解光的行为奠定基础
Designing a reflecting telescope
设计反射望远镜
The young student was Isaac Newton, and 1666 became known as his annus mirabilis (Latin for “miracle year”), a nod to the breadth and depth of his output over such a short period. In a single year, he had produced the output of several incredible lifetimes.
这位年轻的学生就是艾萨克·牛顿,1666年被称为他的“奇迹年”(拉丁语为annus mirabilis),以表彰他在如此短的时间内所取得的惊人成就。仅仅一年,他就完成了相当于几代人毕生才能完成的惊人工作量。
Attention is defined as the state or act of applying the mind to something. This application of mental energy is how we create progress. Your choice of how and when to deploy your limited attention determines the quality of your outcomes.
注意力被定义为将精神能量集中于某事的状态或行为。正是这种精神能量的运用,使我们取得进步。你如何以及何时运用有限的注意力,决定了你最终成果的质量。
The climactic final scene in Pixar’s classic animated film Toy Story offers a useful analogy to bring this to life.
皮克斯经典动画电影《玩具总动员》的高潮结尾场景提供了一个有用的类比,使之生动形象。
The two protagonists, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, are attempting to light a small rocket to propel them back to safety, but their match flames out. Woody looks up at the sun and has an idea: He grabs Buzz and angles his glass helmet toward the sky—creating a makeshift magnifying glass—and directs the concentrated beam of the sun’s energy onto the fuse of the rocket. It bursts into flame and the two are successfully launched toward a happy ending to the epic adventure.
两位主角伍迪和巴斯光年正试图点燃一枚小型火箭,以便安全返回,但他们的火柴却熄灭了。伍迪抬头望向太阳,灵机一动:他抓住巴斯,将自己的玻璃头盔对准天空——这相当于一个简易的放大镜——然后将太阳的光束聚焦到火箭的引线上。火箭瞬间燃起火焰,两人成功发射升空,为这场史诗般的冒险画上了圆满的句号。
While the movie might have been intended for children, the underlying insight is important: The focused, concentrated energy of the sun through the helmet magnifying glass was significantly more powerful than its scattered, unconcentrated energy.
虽然这部电影可能是拍给孩子看的,但其背后的深刻见解却很重要:通过头盔放大镜聚焦的太阳能量比分散的、无序的能量要强大得多。
The same insight applies to your attention: Focused, concentrated attention is significantly more powerful than scattered, unconcentrated attention.
同样的道理也适用于你的注意力:专注、集中的注意力比分散、不集中的注意力要强大得多。
Outcomes follow attention. Scattered attention leads to random, ordinary outcomes; concentrated attention leads to focused, extraordinary outcomes. We see a perfect example in the story of a young Isaac Newton: Deep, intense, deliberate attention deployed in a short, unique window of time (a distraction-free plague-lockdown environment) created astonishing outcomes.
注意力决定结果。注意力分散导致随机、平庸的结果;注意力集中则带来卓越、非凡的成果。年轻的艾萨克·牛顿的故事就是一个绝佳的例子:在一段短暂而独特的时期(疫情封锁期间不受干扰的环境)中,他投入了高度专注和刻意的精力,最终取得了惊人的成就。
In an average environment, output is fixed to input: One unit of input creates one unit of output. If you want to create two units of output, you need to generate two units of input. This fixed relationship keeps you busy, scattered, and trapped—you’re running faster and faster but never achieving the ten or one hundred units of output that would constitute getting somewhere.
在一般环境下,产出与投入是固定的:一单位的投入产生一单位的产出。如果你想获得两单位的产出,就需要投入两单位的投入。这种固定的关系让你忙碌、分散、陷入困境——你越跑越快,却永远无法获得那十个或一百个单位的产出,也就无法取得任何进展。
Using our Toy Story analogy, the sun can shine for hours on the rocket fuse, but it will never set it alight. The fixed relationship of the unit of input from the sun and the corresponding unit of output of heat on the fuse is insufficient to create the desired end state. The magnifying glass changes the game; it concentrates the energy from the sun so the same single unit of input creates one hundred units of output of heat on the fuse. The fixed relationship is broken to unlock asymmetric output and achieve the desired end state (the lit fuse).
用《玩具总动员》的例子来说,太阳可以对着火箭引信照射几个小时,但永远也无法点燃它。太阳输入的热量与引信上输出的热量之间固定的比例关系不足以达到预期的最终状态。放大镜改变了这一切;它集中了太阳的能量,使得同样的输入热量能够转化为引信上100个单位的热量输出。这种固定的比例关系被打破,从而实现了不对称的输出,最终达到了预期的最终状态(引信被点燃)。
Sir Isaac Newton, Lionel Messi, and Warren Buffett became famous because they directed their attention to a limited number of moments and opportunities to consistently create one-thousand-plus units of output per unit of input.
艾萨克·牛顿爵士、莱昂内尔·梅西和沃伦·巴菲特之所以出名,是因为他们将注意力集中在有限的时刻和机会上,从而持续地以每单位投入创造一千多个单位的产出。
In the context of your life, concentrated attention is the dedicated, deep focus on the high-leverage projects, opportunities, people, and moments that truly matter. Attention is what allows you to get ahead, to stop running faster (more units of input) and start running smarter (higher output per unit of input). It requires appropriate project selection and rejection—saying yes to a few high-leverage things and no to everything else.
在你的人生中,专注力指的是全身心投入到真正重要的、高价值的项目、机遇、人物和时刻。专注力能让你脱颖而出,不再盲目追求速度(投入更多资源),而是更加高效地工作(单位投入产出更高)。它需要你合理地选择和拒绝项目——对少数高价值的事情说“是”,对其他所有事情说“不”。
Attention needs to be directed, managed, and harnessed.
注意力需要引导、管理和利用。
As attention is deployed efficiently and effectively into the key moments or opportunities of import—the kairos time—you break the fixed relationship between inputs and outputs in your life. You put in the same input but generate significantly more output—the same amount of effort yields dramatically improved results. With this fundamental shift, time morphs from a fixed asset that you must take to a dynamic asset that you can make.
当你的注意力被高效地集中到关键时刻或重要机遇——即“卡伊洛斯时刻”——你便打破了生活中投入与产出之间固定的关系。你投入同样的精力,却能获得显著更多的产出——同样的努力能带来截然不同的成果。随着这种根本性的转变,时间不再是你必须占有的固定资产,而是你可以创造的动态资产。
Time enters the realm of your control.
时间进入了你的掌控范围。
Cassie Holmes, a professor of marketing and behavioral decision making at UCLA Anderson School of Management and author of Happier Hour, has done extensive research on the impact of free time on happiness. In a 2021 paper in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology that reviewed two large-scale datasets of 35,375 Americans, Dr. Holmes and her coauthors found that the relationship between free time and happiness follows an inverse U-shape—meaning that both too little and too much free time lead to unhappiness.
加州大学洛杉矶分校安德森管理学院市场营销和行为决策学教授、畅销书《快乐时光》(Happier Hour)的作者卡西·霍姆斯(Cassie Holmes)对空闲时间对幸福感的影响进行了广泛的研究。在2021年发表于《人格与社会心理学杂志》(Journal of Personality and Social Psychology)的一篇论文中,霍姆斯博士及其合作者回顾了两个包含35375名美国人的大型数据集,发现空闲时间和幸福感之间的关系呈倒U型曲线——也就是说,空闲时间太少或太多都会导致不幸福。
The lesson: Each of us has a Goldilocks level of free time, the level that is just right.
教训是:我们每个人都有一个恰到好处的空闲时间,也就是刚刚好的程度。
Control places you in the driver’s seat to identify this level and live in line with it. Control is the desired end state—the ability to choose what you do and when you do it. You own your time, and you make your own decisions on how to allocate it. Without control, your time is not yours. Other people own it, literally or figuratively. You are a time taker —time is given to you along with a specific set of instructions to follow. Control turns you into a time maker —you dictate the time you have and how you will allocate it. Awareness and attention create the conditions to shift your stance from taker to maker.
掌控力让你能够主动识别并适应这种状态。掌控力是理想的最终状态——能够选择做什么以及何时做。你拥有自己的时间,并自主决定如何分配它。失去掌控力,你的时间就不属于你。它被他人占有,无论是字面意义上的还是比喻意义上的。你只是时间的索取者——时间被赋予你,并附带一套特定的指令让你遵循。掌控力让你成为时间的创造者——你决定自己拥有多少时间以及如何分配它。觉察和专注能够创造条件,让你从索取者转变为创造者。
Consider an example of how this works:
举个例子来说明它是如何运作的:
Previously, to create ten units of output (the necessary output to fulfill your responsibilities), you had to generate ten units of input (a 1:1 ratio).
以前,要生产十个单位的产出(履行职责所需的产出),你必须投入十个单位的投入(1:1 的比例)。
With improved awareness and concentrated attention directed to the most important projects, high-leverage opportunities, and moments, let’s assume the ten units of output can be created with just five units of input (a 2:1 ratio).
通过提高意识,并将注意力集中在最重要的项目、高杠杆机会和关键时刻,假设只需投入 5 个单位的投入(2:1 的比例),就能创造 10 个单位的产出。
With this improved ratio, the remaining five units of unused input represent created time that can be freely allocated according to your values and goals. You can use that time to create more professional output or allocate it to a different arena of your choice. You are in control.
通过这种改进后的比例,剩余的五个单位未使用的投入时间就相当于创造了出来的时间,您可以根据自己的价值观和目标自由支配这些时间。您可以利用这些时间来创造更专业的成果,或者将其分配到您选择的其他领域。一切尽在您的掌控之中。
The freedom to allocate time according to your preferences—to choose how you spend it, where you spend it, and whom you spend it with—is the ultimate goal. This is the desired end state of true control over your time.
能够自由地按照自己的喜好分配时间——选择如何度过时间、在哪里度过时间以及与谁共度时间——才是最终目标。这才是真正掌控自己时间的理想状态。
With an understanding of these three pillars of Time Wealth, we can move to the Time Wealth Guide, which provides you with the specific tools and systems to build upon these pillars and cultivate a life of abundance.
了解了时间财富的这三大支柱之后,我们就可以进入时间财富指南,该指南为您提供具体的工具和系统,以建立在这些支柱之上,并培养富足的生活。
The Time Wealth Guide that follows provides specific, high-leverage systems to build each of the pillars of Time Wealth. The systems are supported by clear research and are battle-tested through my own personal experience, which I share throughout. This isn’t one-size-fits-all and you shouldn’t feel compelled to read every single one; browse through and select those that feel most relevant and useful to you. Everyone enters at a different starting point, and the guides at the end of each section should allow you to “create your own adventure” as you progress through the book.
接下来的《时间财富指南》提供了构建时间财富各个支柱的具体、高效的系统。这些系统以清晰的研究为基础,并经过我个人经验的验证,这些经验我也会在书中分享。这并非一成不变的模式,您不必阅读所有内容;您可以浏览并选择那些与您最相关、最有用的部分。每个人的起点都不同,每章末尾的指南将帮助您在阅读过程中“创造属于您自己的冒险之旅”。
As you consider and execute the systems for success provided in the guide, use your responses to each Time Wealth statement from the Wealth Score quiz to narrow your focus to the areas where you need to make the most progress (those where you responded strongly disagree, disagree, or neutral ).
在您考虑并执行本指南中提供的成功系统时,请使用您在财富评分测验中对每项时间财富陈述的回答,将您的注意力集中在您需要取得最大进步的领域(您回答“强烈不同意”、“不同意”或“中立”的领域)。
I have a deep awareness of the finite, impermanent nature of my time and its importance as my most precious asset.
我深刻意识到时间的有限性和无常性,以及时间作为我最宝贵财富的重要性。
I have a clear understanding of the two to three most important priorities in my personal and professional lives.
我清楚地知道在个人生活和职业生涯中最重要的两到三件事。
I am able to consistently direct attention and focus to the important priorities that I have identified.
我能够始终如一地将注意力集中到我确定的重要优先事项上。
I rarely feel too busy or scattered to spend time on the most important priorities.
我很少会因为太忙或精力分散而无法抽出时间处理最重要的事。
I am in control of my calendar and priorities.
我可以自主安排日程和优先事项。
A few common Time Wealth anti-goals to avoid on your journey:
在追求时间财富的过程中,应避免以下几种常见的反向目标:
Spending too much of my time on low-value, energy-draining activities
我把太多时间花在了低价值、耗费精力的活动上。
Being so busy that I’m unable to prioritize time with the people who truly matter
忙得不可开交,以至于无法抽出时间陪伴真正重要的人。
Losing the spontaneity in my life as I pursue my most important priorities
在追求人生最重要的目标的过程中,我逐渐失去了生活中的自发性。
Here are twelve proven systems for building Time Wealth.
以下是十二种行之有效的积累时间财富的系统。
1. The Time Wealth Hard Reset | Awareness
1. 时间财富硬重置 | 意识
2. The Energy Calendar | Awareness and Attention
2. 能量日历 | 觉察与注意力
3. The Two-List Exercise | Awareness and Attention
3. 双列表练习 | 意识与注意力
4. The Eisenhower Matrix | Awareness and Attention
4. 艾森豪威尔矩阵 | 意识与注意力
5. The Index Card To-Do System | Attention
5. 索引卡待办事项系统 | 注意
6. Parkinson’s Law | Attention
6.帕金森定律 | 注意力
7. The Anti-Procrastination System | Attention
7. 反拖延系统 | 注意力
8. The Flow State Boot-Up Sequence | Attention
8. 流程状态启动序列 | 注意
9. Effective Delegation | Attention and Control
9. 有效授权 | 关注与控制
10. 拒绝的艺术 | 控制
11. The Four Types of Professional Time | Control
11. 四种专业时间控制类型
12. The Energy Creators | Control
12. 能量创造者 | 控制
My entire life changed when I confronted the mathematical reality of the amount of time I had remaining with the people I loved most. It was a hard reset for my life—an emotionally challenging yet necessary intervention that sparked new awareness and priorities.
当我直面与我最爱的人共度余生的现实时,我的人生彻底改变了。这对我来说是一次彻底的重启——一次充满情感挑战却又必不可少的干预,它唤醒了我新的意识,让我重新审视了人生的优先事项。
I want you to confront the same reality by completing this simple exercise:
我希望你通过完成这个简单的练习来面对同样的现实:
Start by writing down the name of a friend or family member you love deeply but don’t see enough. Approximate the number of times per year that you see that person. Write that number down.
首先写下你深爱但见面次数不多的朋友或家人的名字。然后估算一下你每年大约能见到这个人多少次,并把这个数字写下来。
Next, write down your age and the other person’s age. Subtract the older person’s age from eighty. [*] This is the approximate number of years you have remaining with this person.
接下来,写下你的年龄和对方的年龄。用八十减去对方的年龄。[*] 这就是你和这个人还能相处的大约年数。
Now, do some basic math: Multiply the number of times you see that person per year by the number of years you have remaining with that person. With some terrifyingly simple math, you’ve determined the number of times you will see your loved one before the end.
现在,做个简单的数学题:用你每年见到那个人的次数乘以你和那个人还在一起的年数。通过一些简单到令人心惊胆战的计算,你就能算出在生命的尽头之前,你还能见到你爱人的多少次。
Here’s an example of the math I confronted in my own hard reset in 2021:
以下是我在2021年彻底重启人生时遇到的一个数学问题的例子:
I saw my father about once a year while we were living three thousand miles apart.
我们相距三千英里,我大约每年只能见父亲一次。
He was sixty-five years old at the time. Subtracting that from eighty, I got fifteen.
他当时六十五岁。用八十减去六十五,等于十五。
Multiplying fifteen by the number of times I saw him per year, I concluded that I would see him fifteen more times before he was gone.
我用十五乘以我每年见到他的次数,得出结论:在他去世之前,我还会见到他十五次。
It’s important to note that not all of these numbers are fixed—some are within your control. When my wife and I moved across the country to be closer to our parents after this hard reset, the number of times I would see my father again before the end expanded from fifteen into the hundreds.
值得注意的是,这些数字并非全部固定不变——有些是可以控制的。我和妻子在经历人生重大转折后,搬到离父母更近的地方居住,之后我与父亲重逢的次数从十五次增加到了数百次。
One action—moving—literally created time with our loved ones.
搬家这一举动,实际上为我们与所爱之人创造了更多相处时间。
It was a drastic but necessary move in our lives. The changes you make may not need to be as significant; some people need to see this math in order to prioritize regular lunch dates with their friends, more walks with their siblings, or annual reunions with family. The point is simple: Once you see this math, you’ll be inspired to create more time with those you love most.
这在我们生活中是一个剧烈但必要的转变。你做出的改变或许不必如此巨大;有些人需要明白其中的道理,才能将与朋友定期共进午餐、与兄弟姐妹多散步或与家人每年团聚放在首位。关键很简单:一旦你明白了这一点,你就会受到启发,去创造更多时间陪伴你最爱的人。
Repeat the exercise for as many loved ones as you see fit. It will serve as your hard reset—the intervention that will spark new awareness and priorities.
你可以根据需要,为尽可能多的亲人重复这个练习。这将成为你人生的一次彻底重置——一次能够激发你新的意识和优先事项的干预。
跳过注释
* Note: Eighty is a rough approximation for the life expectancy of an adult. If you or the other person is over eighty or if you feel optimistic, use one hundred as the reference number.
* 注:八十岁只是成年人预期寿命的粗略估计。如果您或对方超过八十岁,或者您比较乐观,请使用一百岁作为参考数字。
Before you can harness your attention, you need to develop an awareness of how you’re spending your time relative to how you should be spending it.
在你能够掌控自己的注意力之前,你需要意识到你是如何利用时间的,以及你是如何合理利用时间的。
There are two challenging problems here:
这里有两个棘手的问题:
Establishing a baseline of how you’re spending your time
确定你如何度过时间的基准线
Identifying what should be prioritized, delegated, or deleted in a jam-packed schedule
在日程安排得满满当当的情况下,确定哪些任务应该优先处理、哪些任务应该委派他人完成或哪些任务应该删除。
To solve these problems, use the Energy Calendar.
要解决这些问题,请使用能量日历。
For one week, at the end of every weekday, go through your calendar and color-code each event from the day that just finished:
连续一周,每天结束时,查看你的日历,并为当天结束的每个事件贴上不同的颜色标签:
Green: Energy-creating—these activities left you feeling energized.
绿色:创造能量——这些活动让你感觉精力充沛。
Yellow: Neutral—these activities left you feeling neutral.
黄色:中性——这些活动让你感觉中性。
Red: Energy-draining—these activities left you feeling drained.
红色:消耗精力——这些活动让你感到精疲力竭。
Avoid overthinking the color-coding; trust your gut instinct on how you felt after the activity.
不要过度思考颜色编码;相信你活动后的感觉。
At the end of the week, zoom out, look at your calendar, and ask yourself a few questions:
一周结束时,不妨跳出周末的局限,看看你的日程安排,然后问自己几个问题:
What are your common energy-creating (green) activities?
你们通常有哪些产生能源(绿色)的活动?
What are your common neutral (yellow) activities?
你常见的那些中性(黄色)活动有哪些?
What are your common energy-draining (red) activities?
你经常进行的耗能(红色)活动有哪些?
Based on the answers, you can formulate an action plan for your time:
根据这些答案,你可以制定一个时间行动计划:
Energy-creating activities should be prioritized and amplified. How can you spend more time on these activities in future?
应该优先考虑并加大力度开展能够产生能量的活动。未来你如何才能花更多时间在这些活动上?
Neutral activities should be maintained or delegated. How can you slowly work to outsource or delegate some of these neutral activities to free up your time for more energy-creating activities?
中性活动应该保留或委托他人处理。如何逐步将其中一些中性活动外包或委托他人,从而腾出时间从事更多能创造能量的活动?
Energy-draining activities should be delegated, deleted, or adjusted. How can you slowly work to outsource, delegate, or delete some of these energy-draining activities? Are there ways to make subtle adjustments to these energy-draining activities that would move them up to neutral (for example, shifting from an energy-draining video call to a neutral walking call)?
应该将耗费精力的活动委托出去、取消或调整。如何逐步将其中一些耗费精力的活动外包、委托出去或取消?有没有办法对这些耗费精力的活动进行一些细微的调整,使它们变得不耗费精力(例如,将耗费精力的视频通话改为不耗费精力的步行通话)?
The Energy Calendar is designed to give you a view of your baseline time and energy outlay to spark the necessary questions to improve on the current baseline. The goal is not to eliminate all neutral and energy-draining activities (most likely an impossible pursuit) but to slowly improve on your energy-creating-to-energy-draining ratio (green-to-red ratio).
能量日历旨在让您了解当前的时间和能量消耗基准,从而引发必要的思考,以期在现有基础上进行改进。其目标并非消除所有中性活动和消耗能量的活动(这很可能是不可能的),而是逐步提高您的能量创造与能量消耗比率(绿色与红色比率)。
The two-list exercise originated from a fabled conversation between Warren Buffett and his personal pilot Mike Flint. One day, Flint was bemoaning his lack of clarity around his personal and professional aspirations and goals, and Buffett asked him to go through a three-step process that would help.
双清单练习源于沃伦·巴菲特和他的私人飞行员迈克·弗林特之间一段著名的对话。一天,弗林特抱怨自己对个人和职业抱负及目标缺乏清晰的认识,巴菲特便让他尝试一个三步流程来帮助自己。
First, Buffett told Flint to write down twenty-five career goals, all the things he wanted to focus on and accomplish in the months and years ahead. Next, he asked Flint to circle the top-five goals from the list. This required some effort to narrow down, as Flint cared about all of them. Eventually, Flint was able to circle his top five. Finally, Buffett told Flint to separate it into two lists. He asked Flint what he would do with the non-circled items. Flint replied that he would work on those whenever he had free time. Buffett shook his head and replied that everything Flint hadn’t circled should become his Avoid at All Costs List. These items should get no attention until success was achieved with the top five.
首先,巴菲特让弗林特写下25个职业目标,也就是他未来几个月和几年内想要专注和完成的所有事情。接着,他让弗林特圈出最重要的五个目标。这需要一些时间才能缩小范围,因为弗林特对每个目标都很在意。最终,弗林特圈出了最重要的五个。最后,巴菲特让弗林特把这些目标分成两份。他问弗林特打算如何处理那些没有被圈出的目标。弗林特回答说,他会在有空的时候处理这些目标。巴菲特摇了摇头,说弗林特没有圈出的所有目标都应该列入他的“绝对避免清单”。在最重要的五个目标实现之前,这些目标不应该被考虑。
The point: The most important items had been highlighted; everything else was simply a distraction threatening to derail Flint’s progress.
重点是:最重要的事项已被重点提及;其他一切都只是分散注意力、威胁弗林特进程的因素。
Every successful person will give you some variation of the same advice: Focus on the most important things. But how do you identify what those things are? How do you identify the projects, opportunities, and goals you should be focusing your attention on? What are the two to three areas that have the potential to drive the asymmetric rewards in your personal and professional spheres?
每个成功人士都会给你类似的建议:专注于最重要的事。但如何确定这些事是什么呢?如何确定你应该关注的项目、机会和目标?哪两三个领域有可能为你带来个人和职业领域的不对称回报?
Use the two-list strategy to identify the most important things and harness your attention:
运用双清单策略来确定最重要的事情并集中注意力:
Make a list: Create a comprehensive list of your top professional priorities. Repeat this for your top personal priorities.
列清单:列出你最重要的职业事项。同样,列出你最重要的个人事项。
Narrow the list: Go through the professional priority list and circle the top three to five items. These should be the absolute top priorities in your professional life, the items that will have the greatest impact on your trajectory—the long-term value drivers. These are the items that truly matter. Repeat this process for your personal priority list.
缩小范围:浏览你的职业优先事项清单,圈出最重要的三到五项。这些应该是你职业生涯中绝对最重要的事项,它们将对你的职业发展轨迹产生最大的影响——它们是长期价值的驱动因素。这些才是真正重要的事项。对你的人生优先事项清单重复此过程。
Split the lists: On a fresh sheet of paper, write down the circled three to five priorities on the left side and all the remaining priorities on the right side. Label the left side of the sheet Priorities and the right side of the sheet Avoid at All Costs . Repeat this process for your personal list.
将清单分成两部分:在一张新纸上,将圈出的三到五项优先事项写在左侧,其余优先事项写在右侧。将纸张左侧标记为“优先事项”,右侧标记为“务必避免”。对你的个人信息清单重复此步骤。
To bring this practice to life, here is a visual example of the process:
为了更直观地展示这一实践,以下是一个过程的图示示例:
By separating the lists into Priorities and Avoid at All Costs, we create a very clear line that separates what we will focus on from what we will delegate or delete.
通过将列表分为“优先事项”和“不惜一切代价避免”两类,我们划出了一条非常清晰的界限,将我们将要关注的事情与我们将委派或删除的事情区分开来。
Consider this your first line of defense: When new opportunities arise, refer to your two-list exercise and make a quick assessment of whether it falls into the category of one of your priorities or if it should be avoided at all costs.
把这看作是你的第一道防线:当新的机会出现时,参考你的二选一清单练习,快速评估它是否属于你的优先事项之一,或者是否应该不惜一切代价避免。
Use the two-list exercise to harness your attention and begin to break the fixed relationship between inputs and outputs.
利用双列表练习来集中注意力,并开始打破输入和输出之间的固定关系。
President Dwight D. Eisenhower was an American military officer and politician born in Denison, Texas, in 1890.
德怀特·D·艾森豪威尔总统是一位美国军官和政治家,1890 年出生于德克萨斯州丹尼森。
His list of accomplishments is long:
他的成就清单很长:
A West Point graduate, he rose through the ranks of the military to become a five-star general in the U.S. Army.
他毕业于西点军校,一路晋升,最终成为美国陆军五星上将。
During World War II, he served as supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe and orchestrated the famed invasion of Normandy on D-Day.
二战期间,他担任欧洲盟军远征军最高统帅,并策划了著名的诺曼底登陆日。
Eisenhower served as president of Columbia University and as the first supreme commander of NATO before being elected as the thirty-fourth president of the United States, a position he occupied from 1953 to 1961.
艾森豪威尔曾任哥伦比亚大学校长和北约第一任最高司令,之后当选为美国第三十四任总统,任期从 1953 年到 1961 年。
As his military and civilian accomplishments indicate, Eisenhower was a highly effective leader and executive. He became known for his prolific, almost superhuman productivity. His secret: He never confused the urgent with the important, as evidenced by a quote that is widely attributed to him: “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important.”
从他的军事和民事成就来看,艾森豪威尔是一位高效的领导者和管理者。他以惊人的效率而闻名,其工作成果几乎超乎常人。他的秘诀在于:他从不把紧急的事情和重要的事情混淆,一句广为流传的名言就证明了这一点:“重要的事情很少是紧急的,紧急的事情很少是重要的。”
We can define the urgent and important as follows:
我们可以将紧急和重要的事情定义如下:
Urgent: A task that requires prompt attention
紧急:需要立即处理的任务
Important: A task that advances your long-term values or goals
重要提示:一项有助于实现您的长期价值观或目标的任务
The Eisenhower Matrix is a productivity tool formulated by author Stephen Covey in his bestselling book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that forces you to differentiate between the urgent and the important to prioritize and manage your time more effectively. While the two-list exercise helps you narrow your attention on a macro level, the Eisenhower Matrix is designed to harness your attention on a micro, daily level.
艾森豪威尔矩阵是史蒂芬·柯维在其畅销书《高效能人士的七个习惯》中提出的一种效率工具,它能帮助你区分紧急事项和重要事项,从而更有效地安排和管理时间。虽然双清单练习可以帮助你在宏观层面缩小注意力范围,但艾森豪威尔矩阵旨在帮助你在微观层面、日常层面更好地管理注意力。
The two-by-two matrix requires you to categorize your tasks into one of four quadrants:
二乘二矩阵要求你将任务归类到四个象限之一:
Important and urgent: These are tasks that require immediate, focused attention but also contribute to your long-term mission or goals. These are Do now! tasks. Goal: In the short term, you want to handle these immediately, but in the long term, you want to manage the important tasks so that they rarely become urgent.
重要且紧急:这些任务需要立即集中精力处理,同时也有助于实现您的长期使命或目标。这些是“立即执行”的任务。目标:短期内,您需要立即处理这些任务;而长期来看,您需要妥善管理重要任务,使其很少会变成紧急任务。
Important and not urgent: These tasks are your compounders—they build long-term value in your life. These are the projects and opportunities that you want to dedicate focused attention toward. Goal: Spend more time on these tasks—plan the time to do deep work here. In the long term, this is where you should try to spend most of your time and energy.
重要但不紧急:这些任务是你的财富积累者——它们能为你的人生创造长期价值。这些是你应该集中精力投入的项目和机会。目标:花更多时间在这些任务上——安排时间进行深度工作。从长远来看,你应该把大部分时间和精力投入到这些任务中。
Not important and urgent: These tasks are the Beware category—they can drain time and energy without contributing to your long-term goals or vision. These are Delegate tasks. Goal: Spend less time here and slowly try to build systems that allow you to delegate these tasks to people for whom they will be important.
不重要也不紧急:这些任务属于“需警惕”类别——它们会消耗你的时间和精力,却对你的长期目标或愿景毫无助益。这些任务应该委派出去。目标:减少在这些任务上花费的时间,并逐步建立相应的系统,以便将这些任务委派给真正需要它们的人。
Not important and not urgent: These are the time-wasting tasks and activities that drain your energy and sap your productivity. These are Delete tasks. Goal: Spend less time here.
不重要也不紧急:这些任务和活动浪费时间,消耗你的精力,降低你的工作效率。这些任务应该删除。目标:减少在这些任务上花费的时间。
The Eisenhower Matrix creates a visual awareness of the types of tasks on which you are spending your time. This awareness allows you to adjust course as necessary in order to spend most of your time on the important, long-term projects and opportunities.
艾森豪威尔矩阵能让你直观地了解自己把时间花在了哪些类型的任务上。这种认知能让你根据需要调整方向,从而将大部分时间投入到重要的长期项目和机遇中。
To summarize the three key Eisenhower Matrix goals:
总结艾森豪威尔矩阵的三个关键目标:
Manage the top right.
管理右上角。
Spend most of your time in the top left.
大部分时间待在左上角。
Spend less time in the bottom half.
减少在下半场停留的时间。
I have never found a single productivity tool that is more useful than the Eisenhower Matrix when it comes to creating time awareness and directing my attention. I find myself turning to it regularly, especially when I have a lot on my plate and need to reset my focus.
在提升时间意识和集中注意力方面,我从未发现过比艾森豪威尔矩阵更有效的效率工具。我经常会用到它,尤其是在工作繁忙、需要重新集中注意力的时候。
You can test every fancy productivity system in the world, or you can use the simple strategy that works for junior analysts and billionaires alike: an index card.
你可以尝试世界上所有花哨的生产力系统,或者你可以使用对初级分析师和亿万富翁都有效的简单策略:索引卡。
Marc Andreessen, the successful technology founder and investor, is a proponent of this simple strategy. In an essay on his personal productivity, he wrote, “Each night before you go to bed, prepare a 3 x 5 index card with a short list of 3 to 5 things that you will do the next day.” [11] Ideally, this is a list of important tasks that directly contribute to your long-term values or goals (items identified in the top half of the Eisenhower Matrix). Avoid writing down all the miscellaneous urgent and unimportant to-do items.
成功的科技创始人兼投资人马克·安德森(Marc Andreessen)是这一简单策略的倡导者。在一篇关于个人效率的文章中,他写道:“每天晚上睡觉前,准备一张3×5英寸的索引卡片,列出第二天要做的3到5件事。”[11] 理想情况下,这份清单应该包含那些直接有助于实现你的长期价值观或目标的重要任务(即艾森豪威尔矩阵上半部分列出的项目)。避免写下所有杂乱无章、紧急但不重要的待办事项。
In the morning, start at the top of the list and work your way down, crossing off the important items as you get through them. Your goal is to cross each item off the list by the end of the day. If that is all you accomplish, the day was a win, because these were the three to five truly important tasks that furthered your values or long-term goals.
早上,从清单顶部开始,逐项完成,每完成一项就划掉一项重要的事项。你的目标是在一天结束前完成清单上的所有事项。即使你只完成了这些,这一天也是成功的,因为这三到五项任务才是真正重要的,它们有助于你实现自身价值观或长期目标。
We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a day, so be intentionally conservative in the number of items you list. As a rule of thumb, it should be three unless there is a very specific reason for it to be more.
我们往往会高估自己一天能完成的事情,所以列出待办事项时要刻意保守一些。一般来说,除非有非常特殊的原因,否则最好只列出三项。
The fanciest productivity systems often require a lot of thinking and maintenance. If you’re spending time thinking about your productivity system, you’re focusing on movement over progress. The simple index card strategy harnesses the core principles of focus and momentum to allow you to get more of what matters done.
最复杂的效率系统往往需要大量的思考和维护。如果你把时间花在思考你的效率系统上,你关注的就只是流程而非进展。简单的索引卡片策略则利用了专注和动力这两个核心原则,让你能够完成更多重要的事情。
Always remember: Simple is beautiful.
记住:简约即美。
Parkinson’s law is the idea that work expands to fill the time allotted for its completion. It was formulated by British author Cyril Northcote Parkinson in a satirical essay in The Economist in 1955. While his piece was intended as a humorous critique of bureaucratic inefficiency, the principle is applicable to a range of situations, from personal time management to large-scale projects.
帕金森定律指出,工作会不断膨胀,直至填满所有预定的时间。这一定律由英国作家西里尔·诺斯科特·帕金森于1955年在《经济学人》杂志上发表的一篇讽刺文章中提出。虽然他的文章意在幽默地批判官僚机构的低效,但这一原理适用于多种情况,从个人时间管理到大型项目都适用。
The generalized insight rings true:
这种概括性的见解很有道理:
Have all day to process email and you end up emailing for the entire day. Have thirty minutes to process email and you crank through your entire inbox in a flash.
如果给你一整天的时间来处理邮件,结果你一整天都在回复邮件。如果只有三十分钟的时间来处理邮件,你却能瞬间清空整个收件箱。
Have months to complete an assignment and you procrastinate enough for the assignment to take months. Have two days to complete an assignment and you work efficiently and get it done.
你有几个月的时间来完成一项作业,但你却拖延到几个月才完成。只有两天的时间完成一项作业,你却能高效地完成它。
Open time frames lead to a lot of movement and very little progress—the rocking-horse phenomenon of busywork culture. We tend to be more efficient and productive when constraints come into play. We also tend to focus on the important when pressed for time.
时间安排过于灵活,导致行动频繁却进展甚微——这就是忙碌文化中常见的“摇摇马”现象。当时间受到限制时,我们往往效率更高,生产力也更强。此外,时间紧迫时,我们也会更专注于重要的事情。
You can leverage Parkinson’s law to be more efficient and effective in your professional and personal life:
你可以利用帕金森定律,在职业和个人生活中提高效率和效能:
Establish time blocks that are shorter than you’re comfortable with for low-importance but necessary tasks. Use this artificial pressure to avoid procrastination and free up time for important, high-value tasks.
为那些重要性不高但又必不可少的任务设定比你通常习惯的时间更短的时间段。利用这种人为的压力来避免拖延,从而腾出时间来处理重要且高价值的任务。
Batch-process email in one to three short, time-constrained windows. If you allow yourself to check your email throughout the day, you’ll be plagued by attention residue and never get through your work. Condense the processing into short windows to become more efficient and avoid the negative cognitive impact of task-switching.
将邮件集中处理,每次处理时间控制在一到三个短时段内。如果你允许自己全天查看邮件,注意力就会分散,最终无法完成工作。将处理时间压缩到短时段内,可以提高效率,并避免任务切换带来的负面认知影响。
Shorten standard meetings to twenty-five minutes. The tighter window makes participants more efficient (avoids “How about the weather” small talk) and gives you a five-minute break to reset in between meetings.
将标准会议时间缩短至 25 分钟。更短的会议时间能提高参会效率(避免“天气怎么样”之类的闲聊),并让你在会议间隙有 5 分钟的休息时间调整状态。
Work on big projects in one- to three-hour focus blocks. Get a simple focus app on your computer or phone and set the timer. Start at sixty minutes and work your way up. The time constraint will make you more efficient, and the breaks in between will reset your mental energy.
处理大型项目时,要将工作时间分成一到三个小时的专注时段。在电脑或手机上下载一个简单的专注应用,并设置计时器。从六十分钟开始,逐渐增加时间。时间限制会提高你的效率,而中间的休息则能让你恢复精力。
Batch dreaded personal tasks (tidying up, laundry, dishes, et cetera) into short, dedicated windows. Focusing on those tasks in sprints is more effective than lingering on them for extended jogs.
将那些令人头疼的个人琐事(例如整理房间、洗衣服、洗碗等等)集中到短暂的、专门的时间段内完成。集中精力快速完成这些任务比长时间拖延要高效得多。
I leverage Parkinson’s law in the structure of my calendar to concentrate in short sprints of energy on my priority projects. The first three hours of my day—from five a.m. to eight a.m. —are always dedicated to my most important creative project (right now, this book!). The forced constraint of time-bound blocks generates an intensity that meaningfully improves my output quantity and quality.
我巧妙地运用帕金森定律来安排我的日程,以便集中精力在最重要的项目上进行短时间的冲刺。每天的头三个小时——从早上五点到八点——总是专门用来完成我最重要的创作项目(目前就是这本书!)。这种强制性的时间段限制,能够激发我的创作热情,显著提高我的产出数量和质量。
When you establish long fixed hours to do your work, you find unproductive ways to fill it—you work longer but get less done. The better way, to paraphrase entrepreneur Naval Ravikant, is to work like a lion: Sprint, rest, repeat.
当你设定固定的工作时间时,你会找到一些低效的方式来填补这些时间——你工作时间更长,但完成的工作却更少。套用企业家纳瓦尔·拉维坎特的话来说,更好的方法是像狮子一样工作:冲刺、休息、循环往复。
Leverage Parkinson’s law to become a more efficient, focused, and healthy professional.
利用帕金森定律,成为更高效、更专注、更健康的专业人士。
Procrastination is defined as the action of postponing or delaying something. Ancient Greek philosophers called it akrasia —acting against your better judgment. You procrastinate when it’s easier to delegate a task to your future self. The proclivity to procrastinate is literally hardwired into our DNA. We value immediate pleasure even if we know that it isn’t what’s best for us in the long term. Unfortunately, procrastination is a growth limiter—it holds you back from your potential—so you need a system to fight against it.
拖延症的定义是推迟或延后某事。古希腊哲学家称之为“意志薄弱”(akrasia)——违背自身最佳判断的行为。当你觉得把任务委托给未来的自己更容易时,你就会拖延。拖延的倾向可以说是根植于我们的基因之中。我们重视眼前的快乐,即使我们知道这并非长远之计。不幸的是,拖延症会限制你的成长——它阻碍你发挥自身潜力——因此你需要一套对抗拖延症的方法。
The anti-procrastination system involves three core steps:
反拖延系统包含三个核心步骤:
Deconstruction
解构
Plan and stake creation
计划和权益创建
Action
行动
Procrastination is often a direct by-product of intimidation. In a TED Talk that has been viewed over seventy million times, author Tim Urban used the example of a senior thesis to illustrate this point. If you define the project as “write my one-hundred-page thesis,” you’re already pre-wired for procrastination.
拖延症往往是畏惧的直接产物。在一段观看次数超过七千万次的TED演讲中,作家蒂姆·厄本以毕业论文为例来说明这一点。如果你把这项任务定义为“写一篇一百页的论文”,那么你一开始就注定要拖延。
To the procrastinator, large, long-term projects are a big, scary black box. Your imagination fills that box with endless complexity and horrors. The whole is too intimidating, so you push it out to your future self.
对拖延症患者来说,大型的、长期的项目就像一个巨大的、可怕的黑匣子。你的想象力会把这个匣子填满无尽的复杂和恐怖。整个项目太过吓人,所以你把它推给了未来的自己。
Deconstruct the big and scary project into small and individually manageable tasks.
将庞大而棘手的项目分解成一个个小的、可单独管理的任务。
In the example of the senior thesis, the tasks might be:
以毕业论文为例,任务可能包括:
Construct a note-taking system.
建立笔记系统。
Gather important pieces of research.
收集重要的研究资料。
Annotate key pieces of research.
对关键研究成果进行注释。
Craft the thesis outline.
撰写论文提纲。
Draft the thesis.
撰写论文初稿。
Edit and complete the thesis.
修改并完成论文。
The goal here is a simple mental conversion from big and intimidating to small and manageable.
这里的目标是将看似庞大而令人生畏的事情,转变为看似渺小而易于掌控的事情。
Next, you need to develop a plan of attack to check off the deconstructed-task list.
接下来,你需要制定一个行动计划,逐一完成分解后的任务清单。
The plan for each micro task should be
每个微任务的计划应该是:
Specific: Exactly what you’ll do
具体说明:你将具体做什么
Time-bound: When you’ll do it
有时限:你什么时候做
When setting time bounds, lean toward being less ambitious on the micro scale. Give yourself easy wins early on with achievable time bounds.
设定时间目标时,小目标不要太雄心勃勃。先给自己设定一些容易实现的短期目标,让自己在初期取得一些小的成就。
Create a project document:
创建项目文档:
Write down the specific tasks under each major deconstructed pillar of the project.
写下项目每个主要分解支柱下的具体任务。
Write down your timeline for each task.
写下每项任务的时间表。
Create stakes to drive better outcomes:
设定激励机制以推动更好的结果:
Public declaration: State your process intentions publicly. Put it on social media, post it on LinkedIn, tell a bunch of friends at a dinner. No one wants to break their word.
公开声明:公开说明你的流程意图。发布到社交媒体、LinkedIn 上,或者在晚宴上告诉一群朋友。没有人愿意食言。
Social pressure: Make a plan to meet a friend somewhere to do the initial work. Schedule a time and place to meet and decide exactly what work you’re going to be tackling while you are there.
社交压力:计划与朋友在某个地方见面,完成初步工作。安排好见面时间和地点,并确定你们见面时要具体处理哪些工作。
Reward: Plan a reward if you do what you’re supposed to. Allow yourself to have a nice walk, a coffee break, or dinner with friends.
奖励:如果你完成了自己应该做的事情,就给自己一些奖励。比如,给自己散散步、喝杯咖啡,或者和朋友们共进晚餐。
Penalty: Plan a penalty if you don’t do what you’re supposed to.
惩罚:如果你不按规定行事,就要制定惩罚措施。
Use stakes to gamify big projects. It can be very effective.
利用激励机制将大型项目游戏化,效果可能非常好。
Action is often the hardest part. Specifically, the first action—the first motion. To create initial movement, you can try the following:
行动往往是最难的部分。特别是第一个行动——第一个动作。为了产生初始动作,你可以尝试以下方法:
Plan a sync session: Similar to the social-pressure stake above, meet a friend for the initial movement.
安排一次同步会议:类似于上面提到的社交压力,与朋友见面进行初步行动。
Reward initial movement: Attach a small reward to completing the initial movement (for example, a walk outside).
奖励初始行动:对完成初始行动(例如,外出散步)给予小奖励。
Use the lion technique: Commit to a single short (thirty-minute) sprint followed by luxurious rest.
采用狮子式训练法:进行一次短时间(30 分钟)的冲刺,然后充分休息。
The hardest part is getting started. Give yourself a quick win. Big wins are simply the result of consistent small wins.
最难的是开始。给自己设定一个快速成功的目标。大的成功其实就是持续不断的小成功的积累。
The three steps of the anti-procrastination system:
克服拖延症的三步骤:
Deconstruction: Deconstruct the big, scary project into small, manageable tasks.
分解:将庞大而艰巨的项目分解成小的、可管理的任务。
Plan and stake creation: Create a project document with specific, time-bound tasks. Create stakes to gamify their completion.
制定计划和奖励机制:创建一份包含具体、有时限任务的项目文档。设置奖励机制,使任务完成具有游戏化激励作用。
Action: A body in motion tends to stay in motion. Create systems that spark initial movement. Engineer small wins (they become big wins over time).
行动:运动中的物体倾向于保持运动状态。创建能够激发初始运动的系统。精心策划小的成功(随着时间的推移,它们会变成大的成功)。
This is the exact system that I used to break through my own struggles with procrastination in writing this book. I deconstructed the project into sections and then further into chapters, which reduced the up-front intimidation and made the undertaking feel more manageable. I created a project document with deadlines and established micro-rewards (usually allowing myself to buy something if I hit each deadline). Finally, I took daily action, writing every single morning immediately after waking up. The movement on the big project to start the day engineered a small daily win that built momentum as the days, weeks, and months progressed.
这正是我在写作这本书时克服拖延症所采用的方法。我把整个项目分解成若干部分,然后再细分成章节,这减轻了最初的畏惧感,让整个任务感觉更容易掌控。我创建了一个项目文档,设定了截止日期,并制定了微奖励(通常是如果按时完成每个截止日期就奖励自己买点东西)。最后,我坚持每天行动,每天早上醒来后立刻开始写作。每天早上都着手完成这个大项目,这种小小的成就感日积月累,最终形成了一个持续的动力。
The entire anti-procrastination system is intended to be dynamic and iterative. As you work through your big projects, be sure to constantly assess and tweak your plan and process. Find new ways to raise the stakes and get moving. It’s not perfect, but this system will help you burst through the walls of procrastination. The pages you’re currently reading are a case in point!
整个反拖延系统旨在动态迭代。在推进大型项目的过程中,务必不断评估并调整你的计划和流程。寻找新的方法来提高目标,并推动项目进展。这套系统并不完美,但它能帮助你突破拖延的壁垒。你现在正在阅读的这些内容就是一个很好的例子!
In his bestselling book Deep Work, Cal Newport pushes the importance of focused, uninterrupted, undistracted work on the most important priorities as the only way to grow and thrive in the modern economy. In Newport’s words, “The Deep Work Hypothesis: The ability to perform deep work is becoming increasingly rare at exactly the same time it is becoming increasingly valuable in our economy. As a consequence, the few who cultivate this skill, and then make it the core of their working life, will thrive.”
在畅销书《深度工作》中,卡尔·纽波特强调,专注于最重要的优先事项,不受干扰地、全神贯注地工作,是现代经济中成长和成功的唯一途径。纽波特指出:“深度工作假说:深度工作的能力在当今经济中变得越来越稀缺,同时也越来越有价值。因此,那些培养这种技能并将其融入工作核心的人,将会获得成功。”
The ability to concentrate your attention and engage this deep focus—a flow state—is essential to Time Wealth, as it enables you to break the fixed relationship between inputs and outputs. Deep-focused blocks of work won’t be easy to execute at first. You’re forcibly overriding a lot of the natural dopamine-reward response that all these apps, digital tools, and social platforms were built on.
集中注意力并进入深度专注状态——即心流状态——的能力对于时间财富至关重要,因为它能让你打破投入与产出之间固定的联系。一开始,要高效地完成深度专注的工作并不容易。你实际上是在强行抑制许多自然的多巴胺奖励机制,而所有这些应用程序、数字工具和社交平台正是建立在这些机制之上的。
You’ll build your focus muscle progressively:
你的专注力会逐步增强:
Start with thirty minutes, once per day.
开始时每天一次,每次三十分钟。
Work your way up to one hour two to three times per day by the end of the first month.
到第一个月结束时,逐渐增加到每天两到三次,每次一小时。
From there, extend the periods to two hours (my personal maximum) or four hours (an ambitious target) as your focus muscle strengthens.
随着专注力的增强,可以逐渐将专注时间延长至两小时(我的个人极限)或四小时(一个雄心勃勃的目标)。
Once your flow windows are planned, you need an approach for entering the deep-focused state necessary for high-quality work. When you power up a computer and stare impatiently at the screen, the computer is doing something very important: It’s running a boot-up sequence. The boot-up sequence is simply a fixed set of operations that the computer performs when it is switched on to initiate and prepare the operating system for use. This sequence ensures that the operating system is engaged appropriately and ready for the onslaught of task processing that the user will put it through during the upcoming session. You are no different than this computer—to flow optimally as you process important tasks, you need to prime and prepare your operating system.
一旦规划好工作流程窗口,就需要找到一种方法来进入深度专注状态,从而高效完成高质量工作。当你启动电脑并焦急地盯着屏幕时,电脑正在执行一项非常重要的任务:启动序列。启动序列是指电脑开机时执行的一系列固定操作,用于启动和准备操作系统。该序列确保操作系统以适当的方式运行,并准备好应对用户在接下来的工作中需要处理的大量任务。你和这台电脑并无二致——为了在处理重要任务时保持最佳状态,你需要启动并准备好你的操作系统。
You need a personal boot-up sequence.
你需要设置个性化的启动顺序。
The personal boot-up sequence is a fixed set of actions and environmental cues that mentally and physically mark the start of a focus-block session. While it can technically be used for any work session, I find it particularly valuable in priming for a focus block. The sequence becomes a doorway to the flow that you need to enter. An effective, repeatable sequence will allow you to enter your flow state and execute deep, focused work on your most important projects quickly and consistently.
个人启动序列是一套固定的动作和环境提示,它在心理和生理层面标志着专注时段的开始。虽然理论上它可以用于任何工作时段,但我发现它在为专注时段做准备方面尤其有效。这套序列就像一扇通往心流的大门,让你能够快速、稳定地进入心流状态,并高效地完成最重要的项目。
The sequence can be built around the five core senses:
该序列可以围绕五种核心感官构建:
Touch: What movement/body action you engaged in prior to start
触觉:你在开始前进行了哪些动作/身体动作
Taste: What you’re drinking, chewing, or snacking on
味道:你正在喝的东西、咀嚼的东西或吃的零食的味道
Sight: What you see in your environment
视觉:你在环境中看到的一切
Sound: What you hear in your environment
声音:你在环境中听到的声音
Smell: What you smell in your environment
气味:你周围环境中的气味
Using this simple framing, I built a personal boot-up sequence that looks like this:
利用这种简单的框架,我构建了一个如下所示的个人启动序列:
Touch: Prior to sitting down for a deep work session, I either go for a five-minute walk outside or take a three-minute cold plunge. Both actions unlock my creative energy and prime my system.
触觉:在开始深度工作之前,我会先到户外散步五分钟,或者进行三分钟的冷水浸泡。这两种方式都能激发我的创造力,让我进入工作状态。
Taste: I always have a black cold-brew coffee that I sip on prior to the start of the session and keep next to me during the session. The caffeine helps, but it’s mostly psychological, as I rarely finish the drink.
口味:我总会在训练开始前小口啜饮一杯冷萃黑咖啡,训练过程中也一直放在手边。咖啡因确实有帮助,但主要是心理作用,因为我很少能喝完。
Sight: My writing desk faces a window with dark walls on either side, some plants, and neutral art.
视野:我的书桌正对着一扇窗户,两侧是深色的墙壁,还有一些植物和中性色调的艺术品。
Sound: I listen to a Spotify playlist called Classical Essentials.
声音:我听的是Spotify上的一个名为“古典音乐精选”的播放列表。
Smell: I love the smell of wood, so my writing nook has cedarwood/sandalwood candles or oils.
气味:我喜欢木头的味道,所以我的写作角落里摆放着雪松木/檀香木蜡烛或精油。
I typically go through this sequence twice each day, once first thing in the morning (around 5 a.m. ) when I start my first deep creative session and once in the afternoon after lunch (around 12:30 p.m. ) when I start my second deep work session. Going through this sequence has become an incredibly effective routine that gets me into the appropriate state to enter my flow.
我通常每天进行两次这套流程,一次是在清晨(大约早上5点),那时我开始第一次深度创作;另一次是在午饭后(大约中午12点半),那时我开始第二次深度工作。这套流程已经成为我非常有效的习惯,能让我迅速进入心流状态。
To build your sequence, sit down and walk through each of the five senses. For each sense, think about a time when you were truly in flow. How was that sense engaged during (or before) that session? Write down the different ways these senses were engaged in prior periods of flow to give you an idea of the range of options at your disposal. Select the option for each sense that is most actionable and repeatable. If you were in a flow state while sitting at a café overlooking the Mediterranean in Positano, Italy, and sipping a twenty-euro espresso, that’s probably not repeatable (if it is, please trade lives with me!). If you were in a flow state while sitting at your local coffee shop and listening to your favorite house track, that’s probably quite repeatable.
为了构建你的心流序列,请坐下来,逐一体验五种感官。针对每一种感官,回想一下你真正进入心流状态的时刻。在那次心流体验期间(或之前),这种感官是如何被调动的?写下之前心流状态下这些感官被调动的不同方式,以便了解你可以选择的范围。为每一种感官选择最切实可行且最容易重复的选项。如果你在意大利波西塔诺一家可以俯瞰地中海的咖啡馆里,一边啜饮着一杯20欧元的浓缩咖啡,一边进入心流状态,那可能很难重复(如果可以,请跟我交换人生!)。如果你在你家附近的咖啡馆里,一边听着你最喜欢的电子音乐,一边进入心流状态,那可能就很容易重复。
Once you’ve established your actionable, repeatable options for each of the five senses, write down your full personal boot-up sequence. Until it becomes a habit, check the items off the list as you boot up for a deep-work session.
一旦你为五种感官分别确定了可操作、可重复的选项,就把你完整的个人启动流程写下来。在养成习惯之前,每次准备进入深度工作状态时,就逐项勾选清单上的项目。
The Eisenhower Matrix encourages you to delegate specific tasks to people for whom they will be important. But effective delegation is not a subject on any standard school curriculum, so most people have no idea how to do it. Use this guide to get started on your delegation journey.
艾森豪威尔矩阵鼓励你将特定任务委派给那些对这些任务至关重要的人。但有效的委派并非任何标准学校课程的必修内容,因此大多数人都不知道如何进行委派。使用本指南,开启你的委派之旅吧。
There are three core principles of effective delegation:
有效授权有三个核心原则:
Appropriate task profiling: Profile tasks for delegation according to their risk and reversibility. Delegate low-risk, high-reversibility tasks that require minimal oversight, and delegate high-risk, low-reversibility tasks that need significant oversight. For example, calendar management is generally low risk and reversible, so it can be delegated with minimal oversight, while key customer communication is high risk and not reversible, so it should be delegated with significant oversight. Clear task profiling prior to delegation is essential for effective expectation setting and feedback.
合理的任务分类:根据任务的风险和可逆性进行分类,以便进行委派。委派低风险、高可逆性且只需少量监督的任务,以及委派高风险、低可逆性且需要大量监督的任务。例如,日程管理通常风险低且可逆,因此可以委派给其他人,只需少量监督;而关键客户沟通风险高且不可逆,因此应委派给其他人,并进行大量监督。委派前进行清晰的任务分类对于有效设定预期和反馈至关重要。
Clear expectations: Establish clear expectations for every task’s completion, including deliverables, timeline, anticipated feedback loops, and risk profile. For example, asking someone to “do the customer report” is significantly less effective than asking someone to “create the customer report by Tuesday afternoon for the executive team to review before presenting the highlights in a meeting with the board of directors on Wednesday.” The former is vague and ambiguous; the latter provides the clarity of timeline, importance, and use that makes the likelihood of a quality output much higher. Always ask the person to whom you delegate the task to repeat back the expectations in their own words to confirm mutual understanding prior to proceeding.
明确预期:为每项任务的完成设定明确的预期,包括交付成果、时间安排、预期反馈机制和风险评估。例如,要求某人“完成客户报告”的效果远不如要求某人“在周二下午之前完成客户报告,供高管团队审核,然后在周三的董事会会议上汇报要点”来得有效。前者含糊不清;后者则清晰地阐明了时间安排、重要性和用途,从而大大提高了高质量产出的可能性。在继续执行任务之前,务必请受托人用自己的语言复述预期,以确认双方理解一致。
Infinite feedback loops: The most effective delegation involves constant, iterative feedback loops such that the participants get smarter and better as information is gathered. The participants collaborate on what went well, what was missing, and how the entire process can be improved. Establish a clear cadence for oversight, feedback, and adjustments, be it a daily, weekly, or monthly check-in, depending on the task.
无限反馈循环:最有效的授权方式是建立持续迭代的反馈循环,让参与者在信息收集的过程中不断提升自身能力。参与者共同探讨哪些方面做得好,哪些方面有所欠缺,以及如何改进整个流程。根据任务的不同,建立清晰的监督、反馈和调整机制,例如每日、每周或每月一次的检查。
By leveraging the three core principles, you can work your way up from a base level to a top level of delegation. The three levels may appear as follows:
通过运用这三大核心原则,你可以从基础层级逐步提升到最高层级的授权。这三个层级可以表示如下:
Base level: Direct delegation system in which participants are given exact instructions for task completion, monitored closely, given feedback on set schedules, and iterate accordingly.
基本级别:直接委托系统,参与者会收到完成任务的确切指示,受到密切监控,并根据既定时间表获得反馈,并据此进行迭代。
Middle level: Semiautonomous delegation system in which participants are given up-front instructions for task completion but then manage and iterate on the process independently with only modest oversight or intervention required.
中级:半自主委托系统,参与者事先会收到完成任务的指示,然后独立管理和迭代该过程,只需要适度的监督或干预。
Top level: Autonomous delegation system in which participants are fully aware of the required tasks and operate independently with minimal oversight or intervention required.
最高级别:自主委派系统,参与者完全了解所需任务,并在极少监督或干预的情况下独立运作。
The idea is to progress from the base, direct system, to the top, autonomous system, over a period. Leverage the three core principles of an effective delegation model to build a system that unlocks new time in your life.
其理念是循序渐进地从基础的直接管理体系过渡到顶层的自主管理体系。运用高效授权模式的三大核心原则,构建一个能为你的生活带来更多时间的系统。
In Happier Hour, author Cassie Holmes references a phenomenon psychologists refer to as the Yes-Damn Effect. The idea, first proposed by Gal Zauberman of the University of North Carolina and John Lynch of Duke, is that humans systematically overestimate the amount of free time they will have in the future, so they say yes to future things, assuming they will have time for them, but when that future date arrives, they find they’re wrong. In other words, you say, “Yes,” and then the future date arrives, and you say, “Damn!”
在《欢乐时光》一书中,作者卡西·霍姆斯提到了心理学家所说的“好啊,真可惜”效应。这个概念最初由北卡罗来纳大学的加尔·扎伯曼和杜克大学的约翰·林奇提出,指的是人们会系统性地高估自己未来的空闲时间,因此他们会答应未来的事情,想当然地认为自己会有时间去做,但当未来的日子到来时,他们却发现自己错了。换句话说,你答应了,然后未来的日子到来了,你却说:“真可惜!”
If you want to take control of your time, you need to learn the Art of No.
如果你想掌控自己的时间,你需要学习说“不”的艺术。
Two shortcuts to use:
可以使用两个快捷键:
For personal commitments, use the Right Now test:
对于个人承诺,请使用“当下就好”测试:
When deciding whether to take something on, ask yourself, Would I do this right now? Functionally, you can think of right now as today or tomorrow. The aim is to eliminate the future time distortions observed by psychologists; by pulling the event into the present, you make a more clear, rational decision.
在决定是否接受某件事时,问问自己:我现在会做这件事吗?这里的“现在”可以理解为今天或明天。这样做的目的是消除心理学家观察到的未来时间扭曲现象;通过将事件拉回到当下,你就能做出更清晰、更理性的决定。
If the answer to Would I do this right now? is no, say no.
如果“我现在会做这件事吗?”的答案是否定的,那就说“不”。
If the answer is yes, take it on.
如果答案是肯定的,那就接受它。
For professional commitments, use the New Opportunity test:
对于职业承诺,请使用“新机遇”测试:
Step 1: Reference your two lists from the earlier exercise. Does the opportunity fall within your priority professional items? If not, say no. If so, proceed to step 2.
第一步:参考你之前练习中的两个清单。这个机会是否符合你优先考虑的职业事项?如果不是,请回答“否”。如果是,请继续进行第二步。
Step 2: Is this a “Hell yeah!” opportunity? Writer Derek Sivers proposed this simple rule: If something isn’t a “Hell yeah!” then it’s a no. If it is a “Hell yeah!” opportunity, proceed to step 3.
第二步:这是一个“太棒了!”的机会吗?作家德里克·西弗斯提出了一条简单的规则:如果某件事不是“太棒了!”的机会,那就拒绝。如果它是“太棒了!”的机会,请继续进行第三步。
Step 3: Assume this opportunity takes twice as long and is half as rewarding as you expect it to be—would you still want to do it? Humans tend to be overly optimistic when taking on something new. Force a degree of rationality into the decision by lowering your expectations. If the answer now is no, say no. If the answer is yes, take it on.
第三步:假设这个机会耗时是预期的两倍,回报只有预期的一半——你还会想做吗?人们在面对新事物时往往过于乐观。降低预期,让决策更加理性。如果答案是否定的,那就拒绝。如果答案是肯定的,那就接受它。
Using these two shortcuts—the Right Now test and the New Opportunity test—you can master the Art of No and begin to take control of your time.
运用这两个捷径——“当下测试”和“新机遇测试”——你就能掌握“拒绝的艺术”,开始掌控自己的时间。
There is a lot we can apply to the future by studying the past. In his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin shared a breakdown of his daily calendar and routine. Franklin’s routine, reproduced below, uses time-blocking, a simple time-management and calendar strategy that blocks out discrete windows of time for specific activities.
研究过去,我们可以从中汲取许多经验应用于未来。本杰明·富兰克林在他的自传中详细记录了他的每日日程和作息安排。富兰克林的作息安排(如下所示)运用了时间块管理法,这是一种简单的时间管理和日程策略,它将特定活动的时间窗口划分出来。
His entire day is batched into six blocks of time:
他一天的时间被分成六个时间段:
5:00 to 8:00 a.m. : Rise, wash, and address Powerful Goodness; contrive day’s business and take the resolution of the day; prosecute the present study; and breakfast
早上5:00至8:00:起床、洗漱、向上帝祈祷;安排当天的事务并做出当日的决定;继续学习;以及享用早餐。
8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. : Work
上午 8:00 至中午 12:00:工作
12:00 to 2:00 p.m. : Read or overlook my accounts, and dine
中午12点至下午2点:阅读或忽略我的账目,然后用餐
2:00 to 6:00 p.m. : Work
下午2:00至6:00:工作
6:00 to 10:00 p.m. : Put things in their places, supper, music, or diversion, or conversation; examination of the day
下午6点至晚上10点:整理物品,晚餐,音乐,娱乐,或谈话;回顾当日事务。
10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. : Sleep
晚上10点至凌晨5点:睡眠
While Franklin’s routine was clearly missing some of the life realities that many of us encounter (childcare, home responsibilities, and so on), we can adopt its overarching structure to improve the way we manage our days.
虽然富兰克林的日常作息显然忽略了我们许多人都会遇到的一些现实生活问题(例如照顾孩子、承担家务等等),但我们可以借鉴其总体结构来改善我们管理日常事务的方式。
The concept of time-blocking is simple: Windows of time are blocked to work on distinct, specific tasks. Rather than manage your life through a to-do list, you manage your life through your calendar. Time-blocking leverages the well-established psychological principle that setting an intention for your time is critical for driving progress. Planning your day in this manner will allow you to focus deeply on the specific task at hand, limit the negative impact of distractions, and give you a degree of control over what you do and when you do it.
时间块的概念很简单:将时间段划分出来,专门用于处理不同的、特定的任务。你不再需要通过待办事项清单来管理生活,而是通过日历来管理生活。时间块利用了一个已被广泛认可的心理学原理:为时间设定目标对于推动进步至关重要。以这种方式规划你的一天,可以让你专注于手头的具体任务,减少干扰带来的负面影响,并让你更好地掌控自己要做什么以及何时做。
In my version, I use time-blocking for my professional responsibilities but leave my personal time open (I prefer not to feel like I’m scheduling time for things like family, workouts, and relaxation). For time-blocking professional time, I use a model I developed that splits professional time across four areas.
在我的版本中,我采用时间块管理法来安排工作时间,但保留个人时间(我不想感觉自己像是在为家庭、锻炼和放松等事情安排时间)。对于工作时间的划分,我使用自己开发的模型,将工作时间分为四个部分。
There are four types of professional time:
专业时间分为四种类型:
Management
管理
Creation
创建
Consumption
消耗
Ideation
构思
Let’s walk through each type to understand it more clearly.
让我们逐一了解每种类型,以便更清楚地理解它们。
Management Time is what most of us spend the majority of our professional lives in. It is a staple of large organizations.
管理时间占据了我们大多数人职业生涯的大部分时间。它是大型组织不可或缺的一部分。
Typical activities of Management Time include:
管理时间的典型活动包括:
Meetings
会议
Calls
电话
Presentations
演示文稿
Email processing
电子邮件处理
Team and people management
团队和人员管理
It can be highly productive and efficient, but it can also create a focus on movement rather than progress.
它可能非常高效,但也可能使人只关注行动,而忽略了进步。
Creation Time is the second most common type of professional time. It’s what most of us scramble to get done in the gaps between Management Time blocks.
创作时间是第二大常见的职业时间类型。大多数人都会在管理时间段的空隙中争分夺秒地完成创作时间。
Typical activities of Creation Time include:
创世时期的典型活动包括:
Writing
写作
Coding
编码
Building
建筑
Preparing
准备中
Creation is where new progress is found. Thriving organizations have a focus on Creation Time and ensure that Management Time doesn’t infringe on it.
创造是新进步的源泉。蓬勃发展的组织注重创造时间,并确保管理时间不会侵占创造时间。
Consumption Time is one of the two forgotten types of professional time. It is where new ideas for creation and growth are planted.
消费时间是两种常被遗忘的职业时间类型之一。它是孕育创造和成长新想法的时期。
Typical activities of Consumption Time include:
典型的消费时间活动包括:
Reading
阅读
Listening
聆听
Studying
学习
To paraphrase Atomic Habits author James Clear, everything you create is downstream from something you consume. [12] Consumption Time focuses on quality upstream to ensure quality downstream.
套用《原子习惯》作者詹姆斯·克利尔的话来说,你创造的一切都是你消费之物的下游产物。[12] 消费时间注重上游的质量,以确保下游的质量。
Ideation Time is the second of the two forgotten types of professional time. It is where new ideas for creation and growth are cultivated and grown.
构思时间是两种常被忽视的职业时间类型中的第二种。它是孕育和发展新想法,促进创造和成长的时期。
Typical activities of Ideation Time include:
创意构思阶段的典型活动包括:
Brainstorming
头脑风暴
Journaling
写日记
Walking
步行
Self-reflecting
自我反思
Most of us have zero time for stillness and thought in our day-to-day professional lives, so we make linear progress and miss out on the asymmetric opportunities that require creative, nonlinear thinking. Ideation Time is focused on this stillness and thought.
在日常工作中,我们大多数人根本没有时间静下心来思考,因此我们只能按部就班地前进,错失了那些需要创造性、非线性思维的非对称机遇。“创意时间”正是专注于这种静心思考。
Before you can make improvements to your balance of time, you need to understand your starting point. I began with a simple calendar exercise to identify my own current balance across the four types of time.
在改善时间分配之前,你需要了解自己的现状。我首先做了一个简单的日历练习,来确定自己目前在四种时间类型上的平衡情况。
Starting on a Monday, at the end of each weekday, color-code the events from that day according to this key:
从星期一开始,在每个工作日结束时,根据以下图例对当天发生的事件进行颜色编码:
Red: Management
红色:管理层
Green: Creation
绿色:创造
Blue: Consumption
蓝色:消费
Yellow: Ideation
黄色:构思
At the end of the week, look at the overall mix of colors on the calendar. Focus on identifying the trends.
一周结束时,查看日历上的整体颜色搭配。重点在于找出其中的趋势。
What color dominates the calendar?
日历上以什么颜色为主?
Are there distinct windows for Creation Time?
创世时间是否存在不同的时间段?
Are the colors organized or randomly scattered?
颜色是有序排列的还是随机分布的?
This simple exercise should give you a clear picture of what your current mix of professional time looks like. From that baseline, you can work toward a more optimal balance.
这个简单的练习应该能让你清楚地了解自己目前的工作时间分配情况。以此为基准,你可以努力实现更理想的平衡。
Management Time is necessary for most of us, but it can bleed out and dominate our days if we let it. Calls, meetings, presentations, and email tend to fill every moment of the day, making us feel like we’re constantly busy, running faster and faster but never getting anywhere.
管理时间对我们大多数人来说都必不可少,但如果我们放任不管,它就会悄然流逝,占据我们一天的大部分时间。电话、会议、演示和电子邮件往往会填满一天中的每一分每一秒,让我们感觉自己总是忙个不停,疲于奔命却始终原地踏步。
Leverage Parkinson’s law and work toward a batched schedule:
利用帕金森定律,制定分批进行的日程安排:
Create discrete blocks of time each day when you will handle major Management Time activities.
每天安排若干个独立的时间段来处理重要的管理时间活动。
Have one to three email-processing blocks per day.
每天安排一到三个邮件处理时段。
Have one to three call and meeting blocks per day.
每天安排一到三个电话和会议时段。
The goal here is to avoid a schedule where the red bleeds out across every single day. We are trying to keep the Management Time windows as discrete as possible to create space for the other types of time.
我们的目标是避免日程表上每天都充斥着大量待办事项。我们力求将管理时间窗口划分得尽可能清晰,以便为其他类型的时间腾出空间。
Note: Your ability to do this will rise with your career progress. If you’re just starting out, then tiny, incremental batching improvements will be a win. If you’re further along in your career, you may be able to make more aggressive batching improvements.
注意:随着职业发展,你在这方面的能力也会提高。如果你是新手,那么即使是微小的、渐进式的批处理改进也能带来成功。如果你已经积累了一定的经验,你或许可以进行更激进的批处理改进。
Creation is what propels us forward with more interesting projects and opportunities. We all need more Creation Time in our days.
创造力推动我们不断前进,带来更多有趣的项目和机遇。我们都需要更多的时间进行创造。
As you batch Management Time, carve out distinct windows for Creation Time. Block them on your calendar. Don’t check your email or messages during them. Focus on creation during your Creation Time.
在安排管理时间的同时,也要专门留出创作时间。在日历上标记出来。创作期间不要查看邮件或信息。专注于创作。
Consumption and Ideation are the forgotten types of time because we rarely create space for them, but they are critical to long-term, compounding progress. History’s most successful people have all made a practice of creating space for reading, listening, learning, and thinking. We can draw a lesson from this.
消费和构思是两种常被我们忽略的时间类型,因为我们很少为它们腾出空间,但它们对于长期的、持续的进步至关重要。历史上最成功的人都养成了为阅读、聆听、学习和思考留出时间的习惯。我们可以从中汲取经验。
To start, schedule one short block per week for Consumption and one short block per week for Ideation. Stay true to the purpose of the block. Own that before increasing the presence of these types of time in your schedule.
首先,每周安排一小段时间用于“吸收”,一小段时间用于“构思”。务必牢记每个时间段的用途。在逐渐增加这些时间段在日程安排中的比例之前,先明确其目的。
With these three tips in mind, you’re well on your way to finding a more optimal balance across the four types of professional time. Give them a shot and experience the benefits immediately.
牢记这三条建议,你就能更好地平衡四种类型的职业时间。不妨一试,立即体验它们带来的益处。
Through improved awareness and more concentrated attention, the simple, actionable systems in this Time Wealth Guide have enabled you to create new time.
通过提高意识和更加集中注意力,《时间财富指南》中简单易行的系统使您能够创造新的时间。
The key question then becomes this: What should you do with this newly created time?
那么关键问题就变成了:你应该如何利用这段新腾出的时间?
What activities should you take on?
你应该参加哪些活动?
What pursuits are calling you?
你在追求什么?
Whom should you spend more time with?
你应该花更多时间陪伴谁?
This is the power of taking control over your time: You have the freedom to choose exactly how to spend it.
这就是掌控自己时间的力量:你可以自由选择如何支配自己的时间。
As a simple exercise to ground your thinking as you begin the upcoming sections, consider this, a longer-term, zoomed-out expansion on the Energy Calendar:
为了帮助你更好地理解接下来的章节,不妨做一个简单的练习,从更长远、更宏观的角度来审视能量日历:
Review your calendar from the previous year. What were the Energy Creators in your personal and professional life?
回顾一下你上一年的日程安排。在你的个人生活和职业生涯中,哪些人或事是你的“能量创造者”?
What activities outside of work felt life-giving and joyful?
工作之外,哪些活动让你感到充满活力和快乐?
Who made you feel energized?
谁让你感到充满活力?
What new learning or mental pursuits sparked your interest to go deeper?
哪些新的学习或思维追求激发了你深入探索的兴趣?
What rituals created more peace, calm, and mental clarity?
哪些仪式能带来更多的平和、宁静和头脑清晰?
What physical pursuits did you enjoy?
你喜欢哪些体育活动?
What professional or financial pursuits felt effortless (or even fun)?
哪些职业或财务追求让你感觉毫不费力(甚至充满乐趣)?
Answering these questions is all about determining what fills your cup. It is about determining what brings life into your world so you can take your newly created time and put it toward more of those activities, people, and pursuits.
回答这些问题,关键在于找到真正能让你感到充实的东西。它关乎找到能为你的生活注入活力的事物,这样你才能利用新腾出的时间,更多地投入到这些活动、人际关系和追求中。
The four sections that follow—on Social Wealth, Mental Wealth, Physical Wealth, and Financial Wealth—will provide a deeper dive into each area to which you may want to allocate some of that newly created time.
接下来的四个部分——社会财富、精神财富、物质财富和财务财富——将深入探讨您可能希望将一些新腾出的时间分配到的各个领域。
The journey is just beginning—and the best is yet to come.
旅程才刚刚开始——最好的还在后头。
The Big Question: How many moments do you have remaining with your loved ones?
最大的问题:你还能和你的亲人共度多少时光?
Awareness: An understanding of the finite, impermanent nature of time
觉知:对时间有限、无常本质的理解
Attention: The ability to direct your attention and focus on the things that matter (and ignore the rest)
注意力:将注意力集中于重要事情上(并忽略其他事情)的能力。
Control: The freedom to own your time and choose exactly how to spend it
掌控权:自由支配自己的时间,并决定如何度过这段时间。
The Time Wealth Score: For each statement below, respond with 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (disagree), 2 (neutral), 3 (agree), or 4 (strongly agree).
时间财富评分:对于以下每一项陈述,请回答 0(非常不同意)、1(不同意)、2(中立)、3(同意)或 4(非常同意)。
I have a deep awareness of the finite, impermanent nature of my time and its importance as my most precious asset.
我深刻意识到时间的有限性和无常性,以及时间作为我最宝贵财富的重要性。
I have a clear understanding of the two to three most important priorities in my personal and professional lives.
我清楚地知道在个人生活和职业生涯中最重要的两到三件事。
I am able to consistently direct attention and focus to the important priorities that I have identified.
我能够始终如一地将注意力集中到我确定的重要优先事项上。
I rarely feel too busy or scattered to spend time on the most important priorities.
我很少会因为太忙或精力分散而无法抽出时间处理最重要的事。
I am in control of my calendar and priorities.
我可以自主安排日程和优先事项。
Your baseline score (0 to 20):
您的基线分数(0 至 20 分):
Use the goal-setting framework to calibrate your Time Wealth compass:
运用目标设定框架来校准你的时间财富指南针:
Goals: What Time Wealth Score do you want to achieve within one year? What are the two to three checkpoints that you will need to hit on your path to achieve this score?
目标:您希望在一年内达到怎样的时间财富评分?为了达到这个分数,您需要达成哪两到三个关键节点?
Anti-goals: What are the two to three outcomes that you want to avoid on your journey?
反目标:在你的旅程中,你希望避免哪两到三种结果?
High-leverage systems: What are the two to three systems from the Time Wealth Guide that you will implement to make tangible, compounding progress toward your goal score?
高杠杆系统:您将实施《时间财富指南》中的哪两到三个系统,以取得切实可见的、复利式的进步,从而实现您的目标分数?
Use the Energy Calendar technique for one week to develop an awareness of your current time usage and identify trends in activities that are creating or draining your energy.
使用能量日历技巧一周,以了解你目前的时间利用情况,并找出哪些活动正在产生或消耗你的能量。
On a sheet of paper, write your energy-creating activities on the left side and your energy-draining activities on the right side. Below your energy-creating list, write down ways that you can spend more time on these activities in the future. Below your energy-draining list, write down ways that you can spend less time on these activities in the future.
在一张纸上,左边写下能让你充满活力的活动,右边写下会消耗你精力的活动。在“充满活力的活动”下方,写下将来你可以如何花更多时间在这些活动上。在“消耗精力的活动”下方,写下将来你可以如何减少花在这些活动上的时间。
More attention on energy-creating activities and less attention on energy-draining activities will build a wealthier life.
多关注创造能量的活动,少关注消耗能量的活动,就能创造更富足的生活。
In January 2023, Erik Newton was living a rather typical life for a man in his forties. He and his wife, Aubrie, had welcomed their first child, a daughter they named Romy, two years earlier. She had filled their world with a joy they had never experienced, a sensation that her arrival had completed their lives. In his daughter’s first years of life, Erik was head down, working crazy hours as chief operating officer at a Silicon Valley start-up. In February 2023, he decided it was time to start something for himself and left the company to figure out what he should do next.
2023年1月,埃里克·牛顿过着四十多岁男人的典型生活。他和妻子奥布里两年前迎来了他们的第一个孩子,一个名叫罗米的女儿。她的到来给他们的世界带来了前所未有的喜悦,仿佛她的到来让他们的生命更加圆满。在女儿出生的头几年,埃里克埋头苦干,在一家硅谷初创公司担任首席运营官,工作时间长得惊人。2023年2月,他决定是时候开始做自己的事情了,于是离开了公司,开始思考下一步该怎么走。
But tragically, fate had other plans.
但不幸的是,命运另有安排。
After months of feeling exhausted and having her symptoms shrugged off by doctors who told her it was just part of being a new mother, Aubrie had finally gotten extensive blood work done. One evening after the two had put Romy to bed and were sitting down to watch a movie, Aubrie’s phone rang.
几个月来,奥布里一直感到精疲力竭,医生们也对她的症状不以为意,只说这是初为人母的正常反应。最终,她决定去做一次全面的血液检查。一天晚上,母女俩哄罗米睡下后,正准备坐下来看电影,奥布里的手机响了。
“Doctors don’t just call you at nine p.m. ; we knew something was wrong,” Erik recalled of their reaction when they saw the doctor’s office number on the caller ID.
“医生不会在晚上九点给你打电话;我们知道肯定出事了,”埃里克回忆起他们在来电显示上看到医生办公室号码时的反应。
“You need to go to the ER right now,” they told her.
“你现在必须去急诊室,”他们告诉她。
The next twenty-four hours were a blur of tests and fluorescent-lit hospital rooms. At the end of it, a group of ashen-faced doctors came in and drew the curtain. Erik felt the life drain out of him as they delivered the news: Aubrie had a blood cancer—a very rare form—and the prognosis wasn’t good. Erik and Aubrie stared at the scans together in disbelief. “Her whole body was covered in tumors—her lungs, spleen, stomach, neck. I mean, it was everywhere,” Erik recalled.
接下来的二十四小时,他们辗转于各种检查和灯光刺眼的病房之间,恍如隔世。最后,一群脸色苍白的医生走了进来,拉上了帘子。当他们宣布消息时,埃里克感觉生命仿佛被抽走了:奥布里患上了血癌——一种非常罕见的癌症——而且预后不佳。埃里克和奥布里难以置信地盯着扫描结果。“她全身都长满了肿瘤——肺、脾、胃、脖子。我的意思是,到处都是,”埃里克回忆道。
With tears in his eyes, he told me the next eight months were a roller coaster. “We would bounce from hopeful with a new treatment, to thinking she had days to live, and then back to hopeful. We got very good at saying goodbye to each other before she went into the operating room for whatever procedure she had to endure.”
他眼含热泪地告诉我,接下来的八个月就像坐过山车一样。“我们一会儿因为有了新的治疗方法而充满希望,一会儿又觉得她只剩下几天可活了,然后又重新燃起希望。每次她进手术室接受任何手术之前,我们都会很熟练地互相道别。”
By mid-fall, it was clear that Aubrie did not have long to live. On November 2, 2023, Aubrie Newton passed away peacefully, surrounded by love. In the days and weeks after she left this world, Erik struggled mightily under the weight of his grief and the responsibility to stay strong for his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter, who frequently asked, “Where’s Mama?” as she processed the loss in her own way.
秋末时节,奥布里的生命已近尾声。2023年11月2日,奥布里·牛顿在亲人的陪伴下安详离世。在她离开人世后的几个星期里,埃里克承受着巨大的悲痛,同时还要努力坚强地照顾他两岁半的女儿。女儿常常问:“妈妈在哪里?”她用自己的方式消化着失去母亲的痛苦。
When Erik and I spoke in December 2023, he was still in the throes of grief, but he had begun to reflect on the indescribable beauty of their love and what her final days had taught him.
2023 年 12 月,我和埃里克交谈时,他仍然沉浸在悲痛之中,但他已经开始反思他们之间难以言喻的爱情之美,以及她生命的最后时光教会了他什么。
“Aubrie and I fell in love early and fast, but we fell more in love during the time she was convalescing than I thought was possible. Facing death every day allowed us to set aside the silly things and focus on what matters. Our new depth made her death all the more painful, but of course, I wouldn’t trade it for the world, not for anything. The privilege of knowing and loving her so deeply outpaces every other experience I’ve had. It’s the one thing that matters.”
“我和奥布里很早就坠入爱河,而且爱得很快,但在她康复期间,我们的爱比我想象的还要深厚。每天直面死亡,让我们抛开琐事,专注于真正重要的事情。我们之间更深厚的感情让她的离世更加痛苦,但我当然不会用任何东西来交换这段经历。能够如此深刻地认识她、爱她,这种荣幸远远超过我经历过的任何其他事情。这才是最重要的。”
Erik said that Aubrie seemed to shift to a new level when the end grew near. “Her one regret was that she hadn’t spent more time deepening relationships with the people she cared about. Looked at from the other direction, her regret became an insight. The only thing that matters at all is the quality of the relationships with the people we love.”
埃里克说,奥布里在生命即将走到尽头时,似乎进入了一个新的境界。“她唯一的遗憾就是没有花更多时间去加深与她所爱之人的关系。换个角度来看,她的遗憾反而成了一种顿悟。真正重要的只有与我们所爱之人的关系质量。”
As we spoke about our common bond as new fathers and about how he had been immersed in his job prior to Aubrie’s diagnosis, Erik reflected on the tension between work and fatherhood. “We all have obligations in life that need our attention, and those things pull us away from contemplating love with one hundred percent of our awareness. But we must remember what’s behind our desire to do those things in the first place; we must remember our center. And it’s not the money.”
当我们聊起作为新手爸爸的共同感受,以及在奥布里确诊之前他如何全身心投入工作时,埃里克反思了工作与为人父之间的矛盾。“我们每个人生活中都有需要我们关注的责任,这些事情会分散我们的注意力,让我们无法全心全意地去感受爱。但我们必须记住,我们最初想要做这些事情的真正原因是什么;我们必须记住我们的初心。而那并非金钱。”
Close your eyes and take three deep breaths. Imagine you’re dead. You’re at your funeral. People are walking in, crying, hugging each other. Everyone sits down. Who is sitting in the front row? Imagine their faces. These people—your Front-Row People—are the ones who truly matter.
闭上眼睛,深呼吸三次。想象你已经死了。你正在参加自己的葬礼。人们陆续走进来,哭泣着,互相拥抱。大家都坐了下来。谁坐在前排?想象一下他们的脸。这些人——你生命中最重要的人——才是真正重要的人。
Open your eyes and think about them.
睁开眼睛好好想想。
What are you doing to cherish the people who hold those special seats in your world?
你如何珍惜那些在你生命中占据特殊地位的人?
How are you letting those people know what they mean to you?
你如何让这些人知道他们对你有多重要?
Are you prioritizing time with them or letting it float by and disappear?
你是否重视与他们相处的时间,还是任由时间流逝?
The answers to these questions underlie your Social Wealth—the depth of connection to those few important, irreplaceable people in your world. These deep, meaningful, healthy relationships with a few select individuals will always provide a stable basis of support and love; they are the people with whom you can celebrate life’s sweetness and mourn life’s bitterness. Whether you’re an extrovert or an introvert, a social butterfly or a hermit crab, you can and should build this foundation, as the ability to call upon people for support during hard times becomes increasingly important with age.
这些问题的答案构成了你的社交财富——与你生命中那些重要且不可替代的人建立的深厚联系。与少数几个重要的人建立的这些深刻、有意义且健康的联系,将始终为你提供稳定的支持和爱;你可以与他们一同庆祝人生的甜蜜,也可以一同哀悼人生的苦涩。无论你是外向还是内向,社交达人还是独来独往,你都可以也应该建立起这样的基础,因为随着年龄的增长,在困境中寻求他人支持的能力变得越来越重要。
Social Wealth is built upon this foundation of depth —upon the strength of your ties to these few, cherished relationships. It is expanded through breadth —connection to extended circles of friends, communities, and cultures. Finally, it is secured through earned status, a durable form of social positioning that cannot be bought.
社会财富建立在深厚的底蕴之上——建立在你与少数珍视的人际关系的牢固联系之上。它通过广度而扩展——与更广泛的朋友圈、社区和文化建立联系。最终,它通过赢得的地位而得到保障,这是一种无法用金钱买到的持久社会地位。
To be sure, there are dark forces conspiring against your building this type of wealth. Over the past thirty years, technologies designed to bring us together have made us lonelier than ever before:
可以肯定的是,确实有一些黑暗势力在暗中阻挠你积累这种财富。过去三十年来,旨在拉近人与人之间距离的技术,反而让我们比以往任何时候都更加孤独:
How many times have you walked down a crowded street so focused on your phone that you failed to look a single other human in the eye?
你曾多少次走在拥挤的街道上,却只顾着低头看手机,以至于没有和任何人进行眼神交流?
How many times have you been physically surrounded by family or friends but still somehow distant, lost in thought about complete strangers on the latest app?
你曾有过这样的经历:明明身处家人或朋友的包围之中,却仍然感到疏离,满脑子想着最新应用程序上的陌生人?
How many times has an urgent text, email, or work notification pulled your mind away from the people sitting right in front of you?
有多少次,紧急短信、电子邮件或工作通知让你分心,而忽略了坐在你面前的人?
Technological innovation has increased your connectedness to the world around you. You have more connectedness, but you feel less connected.
科技创新增强了你与周围世界的联系。你拥有了更多联系,但你却感觉联系反而更少了。
You need to fight back. Human connection is ultimately what provides the lasting texture and meaning in life. Without Social Wealth, achievement across any other arena will feel unfulfilling, even bland. Do you really picture yourself alone on that plane or yacht? What good is the big house if there is no love to fill it?
你需要反击。人际关系最终才是赋予人生持久意义和内涵的源泉。如果没有社交财富,在其他任何领域取得的成就都会显得空洞乏味。你真的能想象自己独自一人待在飞机或游艇上吗?如果没有爱来填满,豪宅又有什么用呢?
The desire to build a life of Social Wealth was what led my wife and me to move three thousand miles across the country—we wanted to be closer to our parents. It was what led one of my readers, a woman in her mid-sixties named Vicki Landis, to uproot her life and move to North Carolina to be near her three sons. Explaining the decision, she wrote, “The one thing I’ve read of yours that absolutely has changed my life is the example of how often do you see your parents—how many visits are left, then? Made a huge impact, and as a result, I’m moving to where my sons are.” And it was what led Erik and Aubrie Newton, struck by a devastating blow of fate, to center their lives on love.
正是对构建社会财富的渴望,促使我和妻子跨越三千英里,搬到离父母更近的地方。也正是这种渴望,促使我的读者之一,一位名叫维姬·兰迪斯(Vicki Landis)的六十多岁女士,举家搬迁到北卡罗来纳州,与她的三个儿子团聚。她在解释自己的决定时写道:“我读过您的文章,其中最让我深受触动的是关于探望父母频率的思考——你还能有多少次机会?这对我影响巨大,因此,我决定搬到儿子们身边。” 也正是这种渴望,促使埃里克和奥布里·牛顿夫妇,在遭遇命运的重创后,将生活的重心放在了爱上。
Conventional wisdom says one should focus on the journey, not the destination.
传统观点认为,人们应该关注过程,而不是结果。
I disagree.
我不同意。
Focus on the people. When you surround yourself with inspiring people, the journeys become more beautiful, and the destinations become more brilliant. It’s impossible to sit where you are and plan the perfect journey. Focus on the company—the people you want to travel with—and the journey will reveal itself in due time. Nothing bad has ever come from surrounding oneself with inspiring, genuine, kind, positive-sum individuals.
关注身边的人。当你身边都是能激励你的人,旅程会更加美好,目的地也会更加璀璨。你不可能坐在原地规划出完美的旅程。专注于你的旅伴——那些你想与之同行的人——旅程自然会在适当的时候展现在你眼前。与那些充满正能量、真诚善良、积极向上的人为伍,永远不会带来任何坏处。
Find your Front-Row People. Cherish them. Be one to someone else.
找到你生命中最重要的人。珍惜他们。也成为别人生命中最重要的人。
American anthropologist Margaret Mead was once asked what she considered to be the first sign of civilized human society. The student who asked the question anticipated a response about tools, cave paintings, or other ancient artifacts, but Mead took the question in an interesting direction. She answered that the first sign of human civilization was a healed broken femur.
美国人类学家玛格丽特·米德曾被问及她认为人类文明社会的第一个标志是什么。提问的学生原本以为米德会回答工具、洞穴壁画或其他古代文物,但她却将问题引向了一个有趣的方向。她回答说,人类文明的第一个标志是一根愈合的股骨断骨。
Why did the anthropologist hold this ancient skeletal finding in such high regard?
为什么这位人类学家对这具古代骨骼化石如此重视?
The femur—the thigh bone—is the longest bone in the human body, and it was particularly important for our ancestors’ survival in the wild, given its involvement in all core movements. A broken femur requires a notoriously long time to heal, sometimes up to ten weeks. Mead reasoned that in pre-civilized societies, a broken femur was a death sentence; the clan’s immediate survival would have taken precedence over the individual’s needs, and the unfortunate victim would have been left behind. But a healed femur indicated that the individual had been cared for, which implied a change from the usual immediate-survival thinking. This, she believed, was the first sign of a civilized society—a willingness to care for one another in times of need.
股骨——也就是大腿骨——是人体最长的骨骼,它与我们祖先在野外生存息息相关,因为它参与了所有核心运动。股骨骨折的愈合时间出了名的长,有时甚至长达十周。米德认为,在文明出现之前的社会,股骨骨折几乎等同于死刑;氏族的生存会优先于个人的需求,不幸的受害者会被遗弃。但股骨愈合则表明这个人得到了照顾,这暗示着人们的思维方式已经从单纯的生存至上转变为其他。她认为,这是文明社会的第一个标志——在危难之际愿意互相帮助。
The veracity of this anecdote has been questioned over the years, but its lesson is clear: The human desire and need for connection, love, cooperation, and support is what allowed our species to survive and thrive.
多年来,这则轶事的真实性一直受到质疑,但它所传达的教训却很明确:人类对联系、爱、合作和支持的渴望和需求,正是我们这个物种得以生存和繁荣的原因。
Human history overflows with examples of how social connection is intertwined with progress, culture, and happiness. Our earliest human ancestors with similar-size brains walked the earth about seven hundred thousand years ago. [1] They developed divisions of labor, had communal gathering spaces, and may even have buried their dead. Hunter-gatherers relied on communication and collective effort to hunt big game; the specific coordination of movement and force required to take down a ten-thousand-pound woolly mammoth is quite hard to fathom.
人类历史充满了社会联系与进步、文化和幸福交织的例子。我们最早的人类祖先,拥有与我们相似的脑容量,大约在70万年前就已出现在地球上。[1] 他们发展出了劳动分工,拥有公共聚集场所,甚至可能埋葬了逝者。狩猎采集者依靠沟通和集体努力来猎捕大型猎物;要猎杀一头重达一万磅的猛犸象,所需的动作和力量的协调配合令人难以想象。
Ancient human cities often included elaborate gathering places where people would come together for political, social, and cultural activities. From the agora in ancient Greece to the forum in ancient Rome, from the open public spaces in Mohenjo Daro to the ceremonial plazas of the ancient Incans, and from the mystical Stonehenge to the Pueblo Bonito ceremonial site of the Puebloans, it’s fair to say that social connection has long been a driving force behind the design of human lives. Spoken and written language developed as a means to disseminate information and knowledge to other humans across space and time.
古代人类城市通常包含精心设计的聚集场所,人们在此进行政治、社交和文化活动。从古希腊的集市广场到古罗马的广场,从摩亨佐达罗的露天公共空间到古印加人的祭祀广场,从神秘的巨石阵到普韦布洛人的祭祀遗址,可以说,社会联系长期以来一直是人类生活方式发展背后的驱动力。口头和书面语言的出现,正是为了跨越时空,向其他人类传播信息和知识。
Social connection began as a simple means of survival—the sharing of resources and support—but it slowly developed beyond that into a strategic resource, with language enabling the rise of broader human networks and coordination (for good and bad). Countless wars have been waged and millions of lives lost on the basis of belonging to one social network (regional, national, religious, and so on) or another. Humans are a complex species; the same social connection that enabled survival and love also enabled war, murder, sadness, and loss.
社会联系最初只是为了生存而存在的简单手段——资源共享和相互扶持——但它逐渐发展成为一种战略资源,语言的出现促成了更广泛的人类网络和协调(既有积极的一面,也有消极的一面)。无数战争的爆发和数百万生命的逝去,都源于人们所属的某个社会网络(地区性、国家性、宗教性等等)。人类是一个复杂的物种;正是这种促成生存和爱的社会联系,也带来了战争、谋杀、悲伤和失去。
Anthropologist Robin Dunbar is most famous for his research-based determination of the number of stable social relationships a single person can maintain (the aptly named Dunbar’s number is 150). He also found that the strongest predictor of brain size across species is the size of the typical social group. The human brain is uniquely large relative to body size, which Dunbar attributes to the fact that our species is highly social.
人类学家罗宾·邓巴最著名的成就是他基于研究得出的一个人能够维持的稳定社会关系数量(邓巴数恰如其分地定为150)。他还发现,在所有物种中,大脑大小的最强预测指标是典型社会群体的规模。人类大脑相对于身体尺寸而言异常庞大,邓巴认为这是因为我们人类是高度社会化的物种。
Put simply: You are social because you are human, and you are human because you are social.
简单来说:你是社会性动物是因为你是人类,你是人类是因为你是社会性动物。
In 1938, two unrelated research teams in Boston, Massachusetts, began tracking the lives of two very different groups of young men. The teams could not have known it at the time, but what they began in 1938 would become the most important study of human development on record and would change the way scientists think about human connection forever.
1938年,马萨诸塞州波士顿的两个互不相干的研究团队开始追踪两组截然不同的年轻人的生活。当时他们或许并不知道,他们1938年开启的这项研究,将成为有史以来最重要的人类发展研究,并将永远改变科学家们对人际关系的思考方式。
One research team was led by a Harvard physician, Arlie Bock, who wanted to escape the tendency in medicine to focus on the sick and instead study the attributes of the normal and successful. Dr. Bock hoped that such a study could distill the recipe for general happiness, health, and success, a result he believed would be more powerful than anything he might achieve through a more traditional course of research. With the financial support of Boston-based department store magnate W. T. Grant, he got to work. The Grant Study had an initial participant pool of 268 Harvard College undergraduate men.
其中一个研究团队由哈佛大学医生阿利·博克(Arlie Bock)领导。他希望摆脱医学界以往只关注病人的倾向,转而研究正常人和成功人士的特质。博克医生希望这项研究能够提炼出幸福、健康和成功的秘诀,他相信这一成果将比任何传统的研究方法都更有价值。在波士顿百货公司巨头W·T·格兰特(W. T. Grant)的资助下,他开始了这项研究。格兰特研究最初的参与者是268名哈佛大学本科男生。
The other research team was led by Sheldon Glueck and his wife, Eleanor, both on the faculty at Harvard Law School and both of whom studied juvenile delinquency and criminal behavior. The Gluecks focused their research on 456 boys from Boston’s most troubled families and neighborhoods in an effort to determine the factors that contributed to delinquent behavior.
另一支研究团队由谢尔顿·格鲁克和他的妻子埃莉诺领导,他们都是哈佛法学院的教员,都研究青少年犯罪和犯罪行为。格鲁克夫妇的研究重点是来自波士顿问题最严重的家庭和社区的456名男孩,旨在确定导致青少年犯罪行为的因素。
For over thirty years, the two longitudinal studies ran in parallel but as something of a mirror image, one studying the lives of society’s most privileged and the other studying the lives of some of its least privileged. In 1972, George Vaillant, a Harvard psychiatrist and researcher, took over as director of the Grant Study and made the historically important contribution of integrating the Gluecks’ study into the research. The integration dramatically increased the breadth of the socioeconomic profile of the participant base and unlocked a range of potential study insights.
三十多年来,这两项纵向研究并行开展,但又互为镜像:一项研究社会中最特权阶层的生活,另一项研究社会中最弱势群体的生活。1972年,哈佛大学精神病学家兼研究员乔治·瓦兰特接任格兰特研究项目主任,他做出了具有历史意义的贡献,将格鲁克夫妇的研究整合到格兰特研究中。这一整合极大地拓宽了参与者的社会经济背景,并开启了一系列潜在的研究洞见。
Longitudinal studies typically experience funding challenges when interest wanes or original benefactors move on (or die!), but Dr. Vaillant’s leadership and storytelling enabled the study to thrive. Remarkably, as of this writing, the Grant Study (now formally known as the Harvard Study of Adult Development) is still running, over eighty-five years later. Researchers gather data from the participants every two years via a survey consisting of thousands of questions on life satisfaction, health, mood, and more; they also conduct a comprehensive set of physiological tests every five years. The study has tracked and measured the lives of a combined 724 original male participants and more than 1,300 of their male and female descendants. It is widely considered to be the longest longitudinal study on the health and happiness of individuals.
纵向研究通常会在兴趣减退或最初的资助者离开(或去世)时面临资金挑战,但瓦扬博士的领导才能和引人入胜的叙述方式使这项研究得以蓬勃发展。令人瞩目的是,截至本文撰写之时,格兰特研究(现正式名称为哈佛成人发展研究)仍在进行,历时八十五余年。研究人员每两年通过一份包含数千个问题的调查问卷收集参与者的数据,问卷内容涵盖生活满意度、健康状况、情绪等;他们还每五年进行一次全面的生理测试。该研究追踪并记录了724名最初男性参与者及其1300多名男性和女性后代的生活状况。它被广泛认为是迄今为止持续时间最长的关于个人健康和幸福感的纵向研究。
While the study’s findings are broad and far-reaching, its most important takeaway is simple: Relationships are, quite literally, everything.
虽然这项研究的发现范围广泛且影响深远,但其最重要的结论却很简单:人际关系,从字面上讲,就是一切。
Dr. Vaillant put it bluntly. “The key to healthy aging is relationships, relationships, relationships.” [2]
瓦扬博士直言不讳地说:“健康老龄化的关键在于人际关系,人际关系,人际关系。”[2]
The study has found that strong, healthy relationships are the best predictor of life satisfaction, far outpacing other hypothesized predictors, such as social class, wealth, fame, IQ, and genetics. Perhaps even more important, the study found that relationship satisfaction had a direct positive impact on physical health. The study’s current director, Robert Waldinger, highlighted the findings in a TED Talk that has been viewed more than fifty million times. “It wasn’t their cholesterol levels that predicted how they were going to grow old,” he said. “It was how satisfied they were in their relationships. The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age fifty were the healthiest at age eighty.”
这项研究发现,牢固健康的亲密关系是生活满意度的最佳预测指标,远远超过其他假设的预测因素,例如社会阶层、财富、名望、智商和遗传基因。或许更重要的是,研究发现,亲密关系的满意度对身体健康有直接的积极影响。该研究的现任负责人罗伯特·瓦尔丁格在一段观看次数超过五千万次的TED演讲中重点介绍了这些发现。他说:“预测他们衰老状况的不是他们的胆固醇水平,而是他们对亲密关系的满意度。那些在五十岁时亲密关系最满意的人,在八十岁时也最健康。”
To reiterate that critical point: The single greatest predictor of physical health at age eighty was relationship satisfaction at age fifty.
再次强调这个关键点:预测 80 岁时身体健康状况的最重要因素是 50 岁时的关系满意度。
On the flip side, loneliness was found to be worse for one’s health than regular use of tobacco or alcohol. Dr. Waldinger summarized, “Taking care of your body is important, but tending to your relationships is a form of self-care too. That, I think, is the revelation.”
另一方面,研究发现,孤独对健康的危害比经常吸烟或饮酒更大。沃尔丁格博士总结道:“照顾好自己的身体固然重要,但维系人际关系也是一种自我关爱。我认为,这才是真正的启示。”
Researchers from the Harvard Study of Adult Development always ask participants this question: Who could you call in the middle of the night if you were sick or scared? The responses ranged from a long list of names to “nobody” and served as a simple measure of an important metric: loneliness. Dr. Waldinger, commenting on those who had answered “nobody,” said, “That’s real loneliness—this sense that nobody in the world has my back. The costs of that are huge. It makes us feel unloved and unsafe, and eventually breaks down our health.”
哈佛成人发展研究的研究人员总是会问参与者这样一个问题:如果你半夜生病或害怕,你会给谁打电话?答案五花八门,从一长串名字到“没人”都有,这可以作为衡量一个重要指标——孤独感——的简单方法。沃尔丁格博士在评论那些回答“没人”的人时说:“这才是真正的孤独——感觉世界上没有人会支持我。这种孤独的代价是巨大的。它会让我们感到不被爱、没有安全感,最终损害我们的健康。”
My maternal grandmother, Vimala Pawar Reddy, was a strong and proud woman, born and raised in India. She was a magnetic human, a storyteller at heart, a deeply social being who thrived in a crowd from early childhood into her adult years. I vividly recall countless days and nights spent seated on the floor as she regaled me and her other grandchildren with stories from her youth—mischief, adventures, and near-death experiences. She was the type of woman who was never far from a friend or loved one. In fact, when my grandfather built a house for them in their later adult years, he decided to do it on a small cul-de-sac near their three closest friend couples, mostly to ensure that his extroverted wife would always have companionship, even after he was gone. When my grandfather passed away in 2006, she remained surrounded by love, both metaphorically and literally. One by one, the men in those four homes on the tiny street passed away, but their wives lived on; the proximity to friendship and love proved life-giving during good times and bad.
我的外祖母维马拉·帕瓦尔·雷迪是一位坚强而骄傲的女性,在印度出生长大。她魅力四射,天生就是个讲故事的人,从孩提时代到成年,她都热爱社交,在人群中如鱼得水。我清晰地记得无数个日日夜夜,她坐在地板上,给我和其他孙辈讲述她年轻时的故事——那些淘气、冒险和死里逃生的经历。她总是与朋友和爱人形影不离。事实上,当我的外祖父在他们晚年为他们盖房子时,他特意选在一条小巷的尽头,靠近他们三对最亲密的朋友夫妇的住所,主要是为了确保他外向的妻子在他去世后也能一直有人陪伴。2006年外祖父去世后,她依然被爱包围着,这种爱既是象征性的,也是实际存在的。这条小街上那四户人家的男人们一个个离世,但他们的妻子们却一直生活着;在顺境和逆境中,友谊和爱情的陪伴都给予了我们力量。
My grandmother continued to thrive; at her ninetieth birthday celebration in 2019, she took the mic, gave a sweet, childlike smile, and thanked everyone for attending. But like most of the world, she was wildly unprepared for the chaos that struck soon after. She seemed to age twenty years in the span of two during the on-and-off lockdowns that gripped India from March 2020 through mid-2022. Her busy social schedule, which had previously included a weekly Scrabble club, daily lunches, and regular visits from family and friends, came to a standstill. She never contracted COVID-19, but as the research highlights, the deterioration in her health and cognitive faculties might have been due purely to the lack of human connection. When I was finally able to visit her again, in January 2023, she appeared nearly catatonic on the evening of our arrival. By the second day of our visit, she was up and about, chatting actively and even managing to playfully dominate my Harvard professor father and myself in a game of Scrabble (while consoling us with the assertion that she was “just getting very good letters”). The social connection, warmth, and love served as the best medicine for her various maladies.
我的祖母依然精神矍铄;在她2019年的九十岁生日庆典上,她拿起麦克风,露出甜美如孩童般的笑容,感谢大家的到来。但和世界上大多数人一样,她对随后袭来的混乱毫无准备。从2020年3月到2022年中期,印度经历了断断续续的封锁,在短短两年内,她仿佛老了二十岁。她原本丰富多彩的社交生活——包括每周一次的拼字游戏俱乐部、每日午餐以及家人朋友的定期探望——戛然而止。她从未感染新冠病毒,但正如研究表明,她健康状况和认知能力的下降可能完全是由于缺乏人际交往所致。2023年1月,当我终于再次去看望她时,在我们抵达的当晚,她看起来几乎像个木僵。到我们探访的第二天,她已经可以四处走动,积极地与人交谈,甚至在拼字游戏中轻松战胜了我和我那哈佛大学的教授父亲(她还安慰我们说,她“只是拼出了非常好的字母”)。社交互动、温暖和爱,对她各种小毛病来说,是最好的良药。
In 2023, U.S. surgeon general Vivek Murthy released “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” [3] a comprehensive report that added scientific rigor to my anecdotal observation. The report noted that connectedness was at an all-time high, with 96 to 99 percent of teens and adults under age sixty-five using the internet, and the average American using it for six hours per day. Approximately one in three U.S. adults said they were connected “almost constantly.” Social media use increased from 5 percent in 2005 to 80 percent in 2019, and 95 percent of teens reported using social media in 2022.
2023年,美国卫生局局长维韦克·穆尔蒂发布了题为《孤独与隔离的流行病》[3]的综合报告,这份报告为我的个人观察增添了科学严谨性。报告指出,人们的互联程度达到了历史最高水平,96%至99%的青少年和65岁以下成年人使用互联网,美国人平均每天上网6小时。大约三分之一的美国成年人表示他们“几乎时刻”在线。社交媒体的使用率从2005年的5%增长到2019年的80%,2022年95%的青少年表示使用社交媒体。
This is a big deal, because constant technological connectedness pulls us away from in-person human interactions—a dangerous zero-sum battle being fought for our attention. When social media and technology consistently win that battle, feelings of loneliness and social isolation rise. The amount of time Americans spend alone has increased steadily in the social media age, from 285 minutes per day in 2003 to 309 minutes per day in 2019 (and 333 minutes per day during the COVID pandemic, according to the 2020 survey). [4]
这意义重大,因为持续不断的科技连接使我们远离了面对面的人际互动——这是一场争夺我们注意力的危险的零和博弈。当社交媒体和科技持续赢得这场博弈时,孤独感和社会孤立感就会加剧。在社交媒体时代,美国人独处的时间稳步增加,从2003年的每天285分钟增加到2019年的每天309分钟(根据2020年的调查,在新冠疫情期间为每天333分钟)。[4]
The result is what many are calling a “friendship recession.” According to a study [5] cited in the surgeon general’s report, loneliness among young adults increased every year from 1976 to 2019. Teenagers and young adults are spending 70 percent less time with their friends in person than they did two decades ago. [6] The trend appears particularly dire for men, with 15 percent of men reporting that they have zero close friendships (a fivefold increase from 1990); the number of men who say they have at least six close friendships was cut in half over the same period. [7] A 2022 Gallup study found that only 39 percent of U.S. adults felt very connected to others. [8] While the COVID-19 pandemic may have amplified perceptions of loneliness, it is clear that they have been accelerating under the surface for a long time.
其结果被许多人称为“友谊衰退”。根据美国卫生局局长报告中引用的一项研究[5],从1976年到2019年,年轻人的孤独感逐年加剧。青少年和年轻人与朋友面对面相处的时间比二十年前减少了70%[6]。这一趋势对男性而言尤为严峻,15%的男性表示自己没有任何亲密的朋友(比1990年增加了五倍);同期,表示自己至少有六个亲密朋友的男性人数减少了一半[7]。盖洛普2022年的一项研究发现,只有39%的美国成年人感到与他人联系紧密[8]。虽然新冠疫情可能加剧了人们对孤独的感知,但显然,这种孤独感长期以来一直在暗中加剧。
Sadly, my grandmother passed away in October 2023. In my mind, she was yet another victim of this new and pervasive global challenge: the loneliness pandemic. The technologies that we have created and adopted are conspiring against us. Perhaps not in the dystopian, attack-of-the-robots manner of our favorite science-fiction thrillers, but in a silent, Trojan Horse manner that is terrifyingly effective. What’s more, in a culture where financial optimization has become the celebrated norm, many of us are taking actions that exacerbate the loneliness problem.
令人悲痛的是,我的祖母于2023年10月去世。在我看来,她也是这场席卷全球的新型挑战——孤独疫情——的又一个受害者。我们创造和采用的技术正在与我们作对。或许并非像我们最爱的科幻惊悚片中描绘的那样,以反乌托邦式的机器人攻击为特征,而是以一种悄无声息、如同特洛伊木马般的方式,悄无声息地潜入我们的生活,其效果却令人胆寒。更糟糕的是,在一个以追求财务优化为奉行准则的文化中,我们中的许多人正在采取一些加剧孤独问题的行为。
In a 2021 survey of Americans who had recently moved, about one-third expressed some regret over the decision, with the most common regret being leaving friends and family. [9] The so-called Great Resignation of 2021, in which the United States experienced an unprecedented labor-market churn, is now being cheekily referred to as the Great Regret; a recent survey showed that about 80 percent of those who hopped from one job to another now regret the move. According to an article in Fortune citing the survey, “The most common reason job-hoppers gave for wanting a return to their former employers was that they missed their old colleagues, with almost a third of respondents saying they missed their former teams.” [10] The loss of familiar, stable relationships outweighed the benefits in pay, geography, or flexibility.
2021年一项针对近期搬家的美国人的调查显示,约三分之一的人对搬家决定表示后悔,其中最常见的遗憾是离开亲朋好友。[9] 2021年所谓的“大辞职潮”(美国劳动力市场经历了前所未有的剧烈波动)如今被戏称为“大后悔潮”;最近的一项调查显示,约80%频繁跳槽的人现在后悔当初的决定。据《财富》杂志援引该调查的一篇文章称,“频繁跳槽者想要重返原单位的最常见原因是想念以前的同事,近三分之一的受访者表示想念以前的团队。”[10] 失去熟悉稳定的人际关系所带来的损失,超过了薪酬、地理位置或工作灵活性等优势。
When you fail to measure and value your Social Wealth, you fail to consider it in your decisions.
如果你不去衡量和评估你的社会财富,你就无法在决策中考虑到它。
This raises an important point, particularly in the context of the popular narratives around geographic arbitrage, digital nomadic culture, tax optimization, and the like:
这引出了一个重要问题,尤其是在围绕地理套利、数字游民文化、税务优化等方面的流行论述的背景下:
What’s the point of all that financial optimization if you’re alone?
如果你是单身,那么所有这些财务优化又有什么意义呢?
How many people have sold their homes and moved to areas with lower taxes to save money only to realize that without their families and friends, they don’t feel at home?
有多少人为了省钱而卖掉房子,搬到税收较低的地区,结果却发现没有家人和朋友,他们就没有家的感觉?
How many people have jetted around the world and seen incredible sights only to realize that seeing them alone isn’t quite as meaningful?
有多少人环游世界,欣赏过令人惊叹的美景,却最终意识到独自欣赏这些美景并没有那么深刻的意义?
How many people have taken high-paying jobs in new locations only to find themselves deeply unhappy without their support networks, friends, and family?
有多少人为了高薪工作而前往新的地方,却发现自己失去了支持网络、朋友和家人,感到非常不快乐?
A dear friend in his early thirties had a thriving social life in New York City but decided to move an hour away to avoid the significant city tax that would hit his earnings when his employer was acquired or publicly listed. After just six months, he began to see his miscalculation: “I was saving hundreds of thousands [of dollars] on paper, but I had failed to place any value on the relationships and social life that were so central to who I was as a person.” After twelve months, he moved back to New York City and paid the full tax burden—a wise choice, if you ask me.
一位三十出头的好友在纽约市拥有丰富多彩的社交生活,但他为了避免公司被收购或上市后高额的城市税,决定搬到一小时车程以外的地方居住。仅仅六个月后,他就开始意识到自己的错误:“账面上我省下了几十万美元,但我却忽略了人际关系和社交生活的重要性,而这些对我来说至关重要。” 十二个月后,他搬回了纽约市,并承担了全部的税负——依我看,这才是明智之举。
The loneliness and social isolation that often follows a financially motivated move abroad is a common theme on the popular r/expats page on Reddit. In a recent post, one user noted, “I like my job and my colleagues, [but] I suffer from depression and anxiety and I’ve been finding living alone to be really hard. I’ve been calling my parents every night for the last two weeks…. It’s taken such a strain on me that I’m taking a few weeks off work so I can go home and be with my family.”
在Reddit热门的r/expats版块上,因经济原因移居海外的人常常会感到孤独和社交孤立,这是一个常见的话题。最近,一位用户发帖写道:“我喜欢我的工作和同事,但我患有抑郁症和焦虑症,独自生活真的很难熬。过去两周,我每天晚上都给父母打电话……这让我压力很大,所以我决定请几周假回家陪陪家人。”
The research, stories, and insights all align around one fundamental reality: You can ignore the importance of Social Wealth, but you do so at the risk of your own long-term happiness and fulfillment.
研究、故事和见解都围绕着一个基本现实:你可以忽视社会财富的重要性,但这样做会危及你自身的长期幸福和满足感。
Speaking from my own experience: Nothing improved our quality of life more than living within driving distance of our family and closest friends. Proximity to people you love is worth more than any job will ever pay you.
以我自身的经历来说:没有什么比住在离家人和挚友车程很近的地方更能提升我们的生活质量了。与你爱的人相伴,比任何工作都更有价值。
You may need food, water, and shelter to survive, but it is human connection that allows you to thrive.
生存可能需要食物、水和住所,但人与人之间的联系才能让你茁壮成长。
Greg Sloan was on the fast track.
格雷格·斯隆当时前途光明。
Just into his early thirties, he had risen to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs, one of the most prestigious financial institutions in the world, and he served as a trusted financial adviser to a long list of well-known corporate executives. His expertise and guidance were valuable, a fact that was reflected in his steadily rising salary and bonus compensation at the firm.
刚过三十岁,他就晋升为高盛集团副总裁,这家公司是全球最负盛名的金融机构之一。他曾担任众多知名企业高管的信赖财务顾问。他的专业知识和指导价值连城,这一点也体现在他不断增长的薪酬和奖金上。
Sloan was achieving everything he had set out to achieve—the money, the trust, the client list, the respect: All of it was there. The path forward was clear and well lit until one day, a simple interaction with his five-year-old son changed everything.
斯隆实现了他所有的目标——金钱、信任、客户名单、尊重:一切都唾手可得。前路一片光明,直到有一天,与他五岁儿子的一次简单互动彻底改变了一切。
His son’s preschool was set to have a Doughnuts with Dad event, where the dads joined the students for a morning of doughnuts and fun activities. Unfortunately, Greg would be on an important business trip at the time, so he would have to miss it. When his wife told his son the news, he reacted with a shrug and said, “That’s okay, Dad’s never around anyway.”
他儿子的幼儿园原本要举办一个“爸爸甜甜圈日”活动,爸爸们可以和孩子们一起享用甜甜圈,参加各种有趣的活动。可惜的是,格雷格届时要出差,所以他只能错过。妻子把这个消息告诉儿子后,儿子耸了耸肩说:“没关系,反正爸爸也很少在家。”
The words felt like acid when his wife repeated them to Greg that evening. This, he decided, was the final straw.
当妻子当晚把那些话重复给格雷格听时,他感觉就像被毒药灼伤了一样。他心想,这下彻底忍无可忍了。
“I quit my job at Goldman Sachs later that year. My son is twenty-four years old now. No regrets.”
“那年晚些时候,我辞去了高盛的工作。我儿子现在24岁了。我不后悔。”
For ten years, you are your child’s favorite person in the entire world.
十年来,你是孩子在这个世界上最喜欢的人。
After that, children have other favorite people—best friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, partners, and, eventually, their own children. But during those ten years, you are everything to them. You occupy a unique place in their world. It is during this period that the foundation for the parent-child relationship—so central to many people’s Social Wealth—is built. It might be a strong foundation that is likely to last for decades or a flimsy one that’s likely to crumble in years, but there is one terrifying truth: By the time your children are eighteen, you’ve already used up the vast majority of the time you’ll have with them. Unfortunately, we live in a society where children’s early years coincide with their parents’ peak working hours, travel, and other professional responsibilities. For many of us, these special years come and go in the blink of an eye—a blur of late nights in the office, meetings about meetings, emails at the dinner table, and weekend calls.
之后,孩子们会有其他最喜欢的人——最好的朋友、女朋友、男朋友、伴侣,最终也会有自己的孩子。但在那十年里,你就是他们的一切。你在他们的世界里占据着独一无二的位置。正是在这段时期,亲子关系的基础——这对许多人来说至关重要——得以建立。这个基础或许牢固,可以维系数十年;或许脆弱,几年后就会崩塌。但有一个令人恐惧的事实:当你的孩子十八岁时,你陪伴他们的时间已经所剩无几。不幸的是,我们生活在一个孩子幼年时期恰逢父母工作高峰期、出差以及其他职业责任繁忙的社会。对我们许多人来说,这些特殊的岁月转瞬即逝——办公室的深夜加班、没完没了的会议、餐桌上的邮件以及周末的电话,都模糊不清。
In a viral Reddit post from May 2023, a user wrote, “20 years from now, the only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids.” Commenters responded with emotion-filled posts, such as “The graveyard is full of ‘irreplaceable’ and ‘important’ people” and “I’ve missed so many birthdays, plays, and events for work, and I can’t even tell you why. I don’t remember what I was working on, I can’t tell you why it was important. But I can tell you how my not being there made my kids feel.”
2023年5月,Reddit上出现了一篇爆红的帖子,一位用户写道:“20年后,唯一会记得你加班的人只有你的孩子。” 评论者们纷纷留言,表达了他们的感受,例如“墓地里躺满了‘无可替代’和‘重要’的人”以及“我因为工作错过了太多生日、演出和活动,我甚至都说不清为什么。我不记得当时在忙什么,也说不出它为什么重要。但我能告诉你,我不在场让我的孩子们有多难过。”
I am of two minds on this:
我对此感到很矛盾:
Being present and spending time with those you love is the most important thing in the end.
归根结底,最重要的还是陪伴在自己爱的人身边,多花时间陪伴他们。
Having the people you love see you work hard on things you care about is a principle they’ll remember for the rest of their lives.
让你爱的人看到你为自己关心的事情努力奋斗,这是他们会铭记一生的原则。
The importance and value of the second point often gets lost in the narrative around work-life balance. Understanding, navigating, and balancing the tension of these two beliefs is how you truly “win” the game. Put differently, the goal is not to sacrifice your career progression, fail to live up to your professional potential, or stop learning or growing in an effort to be constantly present with your kids.
在关于工作与生活平衡的讨论中,第二点的重要性和价值常常被忽略。理解、驾驭并平衡这两种信念之间的张力,才是真正“赢得”这场游戏的关键。换句话说,目标并非为了时刻陪伴孩子而牺牲职业发展、无法充分发挥专业潜力,或者停止学习和成长。
The goal is to have the clarity to choose—to define your balance and live by design rather than by default.
目标是拥有清晰的选择权——定义你的平衡点,并按照自己的意愿生活,而不是随波逐流。
The goal is to ask the question and craft your own answer, not to blindly accept the “right” answer someone else wants to sell you. The goal is to understand that these ten short years are different—that they may not be the right time to lean into that promotion or new role at work. At the very least, you need to recognize and internalize the trade-offs you are making if you do.
目标是提出问题并构建自己的答案,而不是盲目接受别人想卖给你的“正确”答案。目标是明白这短短的十年与以往不同——或许现在还不是争取升职或新职位的最佳时机。至少,你需要认识到并理解如果你这么做,将会面临哪些权衡取舍。
Greg Sloan made his choice. When his colleagues “drank the Kool-Aid that financial success would solve our work-life balance issues,” he opted for a different path. Reflecting on his decision years later, Greg smiled and said, “Leaving [Goldman Sachs] allowed me to coach [my son’s] baseball teams and be heavily involved in his sports passion. He is now twenty-four years old and we have a special bond.” He even credits the bold choice with saving his marriage: “I believe there is a high likelihood that Katherine and I would have gotten divorced if I had stayed. The travel lifestyle and high stress was simply not healthy for our marriage. We’ll celebrate thirty-one years of marriage in June.”
格雷格·斯隆做出了他的选择。当他的同事们“盲目相信财务成功就能解决工作与生活平衡的问题”时,他选择了另一条道路。多年后,回想起当初的决定,格雷格笑着说:“离开高盛让我能够执教儿子的棒球队,全身心投入到他热爱的体育事业中。他现在24岁了,我们之间有着特殊的感情。”他甚至认为正是这个大胆的选择挽救了他的婚姻:“我相信,如果我继续留在高盛,我和凯瑟琳很可能会离婚。那种经常出差的生活方式和高压的工作压力对我们的婚姻来说实在是不健康的。今年六月,我们将庆祝结婚31周年。”
The ability to choose is a privilege in and of itself, as it requires a certain level of baseline comfort. For those who have the ability to choose, it’s important not to squander it by falling into the default path. It’s important to ask questions, think clearly, and wrestle with the trade-offs this book urges you to consider.
选择的能力本身就是一种特权,因为它需要一定程度的基本舒适感。对于那些拥有选择能力的人来说,重要的是不要因为走入默认路线而浪费掉这种能力。重要的是要提出问题,清晰思考,并认真权衡本书敦促你考虑的各种利弊。
My own approach is informed by my experience with my father. His ability to balance the two worldviews is something I will always remember. He would come home for dinner, play catch with me outside, then work late once I went to bed. Much of my own discipline and work ethic came from seeing him work hard on things that lit him up intellectually but that he never allowed to get in the way of what was most important to him—his family. I vividly recall going with him on one of his international work trips when I was ten. While I watched movies and enjoyed the snacks on the long flight, he stayed up for twelve straight hours working on his presentation. When I asked—almost incredulously—how he had not watched a single movie on the entire flight, he smiled and replied, “This is what is necessary—to deliver up to my expectations for myself and to be able to bring you along for the trip.”
我的方法深受父亲的影响。他能够平衡两种截然不同的世界观,这一点我永远铭记于心。他会回家吃晚饭,陪我在外面玩接球游戏,等我睡下后,他还会工作到很晚。我的自律和职业道德很大程度上源于他努力钻研那些能激发他智力的事情,但他从不让这些事情影响到对他来说最重要的事——家庭。我清楚地记得十岁那年,我和他一起出差到国外。在漫长的飞行途中,我一边看电影一边吃零食,而他却连续十二个小时熬夜准备他的演讲稿。我几乎难以置信地问他,为什么整个飞行过程中他一部电影都没看,他笑着回答说:“这才是必要的——为了达到我对自己的期望,也为了能带你一起出差。”
I always felt connected to his work because he took the time to explain the why —why he was working hard on things and what he hoped to achieve with them. Involving your loved ones in your journey this way is a beautiful thing. They will understand why you’re working hard, the value it creates for them and you, and feel connected to your growth and achievement. An absence due to work becomes better understood and more appreciated with the benefit of context.
我一直觉得与他的工作息息相关,因为他总是花时间解释背后的原因——他为什么如此努力,以及他希望通过这些努力实现什么目标。以这种方式让亲人参与到你的旅程中是一件美好的事情。他们会理解你努力工作的意义,理解这为你和他们创造的价值,并感受到你成长和成就的动力。有了这些背景信息,因工作而缺席也会更容易被理解和体谅。
The magic years should be a call to arms: wrestle with this tension, be there and appreciate that brutally short window of time you have with your kids. Stop living the deferred-happiness plan, saying, “Well, I’m just going to work really hard now so that I can be happy and spend time with my kids when I’m sixty.”
这段美好的时光应该成为一种激励:正视这种矛盾,全身心投入,珍惜与孩子相处的这段短暂而珍贵的时光。不要再抱持“延迟幸福”的心态,说:“我现在要拼命工作,这样我六十岁的时候才能幸福地陪伴孩子。”
Because when you’re sixty, they’re not going to be three years old anymore.
因为当你六十岁的时候,他们就不再是三岁的孩子了。
The magic years will fade away and disappear if you let them. Reject the defaults, ask the questions, embrace the tension, and design the balance that fits your world.
如果你任由时光流逝,那些美好的岁月终将消逝。拒绝墨守成规,提出疑问,拥抱挑战,并设计出适合你世界的平衡之道。
Always remember: The days are long, but the years are short.
永远记住:日子漫长,岁月短暂。
In early 2022, a message from a twenty-eight-year-old subscriber to my newsletter caught my attention.
2022年初,一位28岁订阅我新闻简报的用户的留言引起了我的注意。
Rohan Venkatesh was, in a sense, a slightly younger version of me. The eldest son of two Indian immigrants, he had grown up in a small town outside Boston, Massachusetts, where he excelled academically at the public high school. He went to Northeastern University in Boston, graduated magna cum laude, and began his career in finance, accepting a prestigious, demanding role as an analyst at an investment bank. A few years of strong performance later, he joined an investment fund and saw his responsibilities grow. Just as I had, he put his head down and did the work with the deep-rooted belief that the best was yet to come.
从某种意义上说,罗汉·文卡特什就像是年轻版的我。他是印度移民的长子,在马萨诸塞州波士顿郊外的一个小镇长大,在公立高中成绩优异。他进入波士顿的东北大学,以优异的成绩毕业,之后进入金融行业,在一家投资银行担任分析师,这份工作既令人艳羡又充满挑战。几年后,他凭借出色的业绩加入了一家投资基金,肩负的责任也越来越重。和我一样,他埋头苦干,始终坚信未来会更好。
Things certainly seemed that way until one August morning in 2021 when everything changed.
事情似乎的确如此,直到 2021 年 8 月的一个早晨,一切都发生了改变。
On that morning, Rohan woke up ready to take on the world. He had just accepted a new job that would catapult him to an office in the heart of New York City. The morning began like any other: a little bit of work followed by a run with his mother, something that had become a bit of a ritual. While on the run, Rohan felt an odd sensation in one of his legs. Assuming he was fatigued from workouts or lack of sleep, he simply walked home and jumped on his next work call. In the middle of the call, he noticed that he couldn’t move his left arm. He called for help. A few minutes later, his condition had worsened to the point that he required a wheelchair to enter the hospital. Within twenty-four hours, a team of doctors walked into his room and delivered the stunning news: Rohan Venkatesh had an inoperable brain tumor.
那天早晨,罗汉醒来时精神抖擞,准备迎接新的挑战。他刚刚接受了一份新工作,这份工作将把他带到纽约市中心的一间办公室。早晨像往常一样开始:先处理一些工作,然后和母亲一起跑步,这已经成了他每天的例行活动。跑步时,罗汉突然感到一条腿有些异样。他以为是锻炼过度或睡眠不足,便径直走回家,然后开始下一个工作电话会议。通话过程中,他发现自己的左臂动不了了。他赶紧呼救。几分钟后,他的病情恶化,不得不坐轮椅进医院。不到24小时,一群医生走进他的病房,带来了一个令人震惊的消息:罗汉·文卡特什患有无法手术的脑瘤。
In the span of one day, his future went “from wonderfully infinite to terrifyingly finite.”
短短一天之内,他的未来就“从无限美好变成了有限可怕”。
The week he had excitedly marked on his calendar as the start of his new job became the week he started his radiation treatment. The months that followed were a blur of hospital rooms, tests, and treatments. He endured six weeks of radiation that threatened to drain the life out of him. He endured the period that followed as he awaited news on whether the treatment had halted the tumor’s growth. He endured the months of rehabilitation as he worked to regain his mental and physical strength, a process that continues today.
他原本兴奋地在日历上标记出新工作开始的那一周,却变成了他开始接受放射治疗的那一周。接下来的几个月,他的生活如同梦境般在病房、检查和治疗之间奔波。他忍受了六周的放射治疗,几乎被痛苦折磨得奄奄一息。之后,他又熬过了漫长的等待期,焦急地等待着治疗是否阻止了肿瘤的生长。接下来的几个月,他经历了漫长的康复期,努力恢复身心健康,而这个过程至今仍在继续。
When Rohan reached out to me and shared his story, he had just entered what might best be described as a “holding pattern” with the tumor—it hadn’t disappeared, but it had stopped growing. I was taken with his infectious, almost inexplicable optimism for a fresh lease on life. Over the year that followed, I had a chance to spend time with him, and we developed a friendship. We spoke about the light of life found in the darkness of death, the beauty of a life devoid of the false pretenses that perceived permanence instills in you. Apple founder Steve Jobs put it well: “Almost everything—all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure—these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked.” [11]
当罗汉联系我并分享他的故事时,他的肿瘤刚刚进入一种可以说是“停滞期”的状态——它没有消失,但停止了生长。他那充满感染力、近乎不可思议的乐观精神深深打动了我,他渴望重获新生。在接下来的一年里,我有机会与他相处,我们建立了友谊。我们谈论在死亡的黑暗中发现的生命之光,谈论摆脱了所谓永恒所带来的虚假幻想的美好人生。苹果公司创始人史蒂夫·乔布斯曾精辟地指出:“几乎所有的一切——所有外界的期望、所有的骄傲、所有对尴尬或失败的恐惧——在死亡面前都会消散,只留下真正重要的东西。记住你终将一死,是我所知的避免陷入‘你有什么可失去的’陷阱的最好方法。你本来就一无所有。”[11]
Rohan Venkatesh was already naked—and in the face of the darkness, he found his light:
罗汉·文卡特什当时已经赤身裸体——在黑暗中,他找到了自己的光明:
“I had the power to choose.”
“我有选择的权力。”
An old Buddhist parable echoes this sentiment. The Buddha asks his student, “If a person is struck by an arrow, is it painful?” The student nods yes. The Buddha asks, “If a person is struck by a second arrow, is that even more painful?” The student again nods yes. The Buddha then explains, “In life, we cannot always control the first arrow—the bad thing that happens. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the bad thing, and that second arrow is optional. ” The first arrow is the negative event that hits you—the chaos, pain, challenges, and complexity that threaten to derail you, to take you out of the game. It hits and it hurts. But the second arrow is your response to the first, and as the parable teaches us, you can avoid being struck by the second arrow; it is entirely within your control.
一则古老的佛教寓言也表达了类似的观点。佛陀问他的弟子:“如果一个人被箭射中,会感到疼痛吗?”弟子点头。佛陀又问:“如果一个人被第二支箭射中,会更痛吗?”弟子再次点头。佛陀接着解释说:“在生活中,我们无法总是控制第一支箭——那件不幸的事情。然而,第二支箭是我们对这件不幸事情的反应,而这第二支箭是可以选择的。”第一支箭是击中你的负面事件——混乱、痛苦、挑战和复杂性,它们威胁着要让你偏离轨道,让你出局。它会击中你,让你感到痛苦。但第二支箭是你对第一支箭的反应,正如寓言所教导我们的,你可以避免被第二支箭射中;这完全在你的掌控之中。
Rohan Venkatesh was determined to avoid being hit by that second arrow, even in the face of dire circumstances. “I had lost a lot. I had this (literal and figurative) Sword of Damocles [*] hanging over my head. But every morning, I got to choose what to focus on. I could choose to focus on things outside my control. I could choose to sit alone in my misery. I could choose to scroll on social media and see people doing the things I could no longer do. Or I could choose to focus on things within my control. I could choose to spend time with people who lift me up, who inspire me to grow. I could choose to be the type of person who they would want to be around.”
即使身处绝境,罗汉·文卡特什也决心避免被第二支箭射中。“我失去了很多。就像头顶悬着一把达摩克利斯之剑(字面意义和比喻意义上的)。但每天早上,我都可以选择关注什么。我可以选择关注那些我无法掌控的事情。我可以选择独自沉浸在痛苦中。我可以选择刷社交媒体,看着别人做着我再也做不了的事情。或者,我可以选择关注那些我能掌控的事情。我可以选择和那些能激励我、启发我成长的人在一起。我可以选择成为他们想要与之相处的那种人。”
Life is so very fragile, but no matter how fragile it is, each day we have a choice of how to live it. Each day is a fresh start, a fresh choice to make. Rohan’s words on choosing his people are particularly poignant. You have many choices over the course of your life, but one stands out as the most important choice you will ever make: Who will you choose to join you on this wild, crazy journey? Who will you choose to gift your energy, love, and respect to? Who will you choose to spend your terrifyingly finite time with?
生命如此脆弱,但无论多么脆弱,我们每天都可以选择如何度过。每一天都是新的开始,都是一个新的选择。罗翰关于选择同伴的话语尤其令人动容。人生中你会面临许多选择,但其中一个选择至关重要:你会选择谁与你一同踏上这段狂野而疯狂的旅程?你会选择将你的能量、爱和尊重倾注于谁?你会选择与谁共度你那短暂而又令人恐惧的时光?
You need connection to survive and thrive, for your health, happiness, and fulfillment. You need to build a life of Social Wealth.
为了生存和发展,为了你的健康、幸福和满足感,你需要人际关系。你需要构建一种社交财富的人生。
Your Social Wealth is built across three core pillars:
您的社会财富建立在三大核心支柱之上:
Depth: Connection to a small circle of people with deep, meaningful bonds
深度:与一小群人建立深厚而有意义的联系。
Breadth: Connection to a larger circle of people for support and belonging beyond the self, either through individual relationships or through community, religious, spiritual, or cultural infrastructure
广度:与更广泛的人群建立联系,获得超越自我的支持和归属感,这种联系既可以通过个人关系建立,也可以通过社区、宗教、精神或文化基础设施建立。
Earned status: The lasting respect, admiration, and trust of your peers that you receive on the basis of earned, not acquired, status symbols
赢得的地位:指你基于自身赢得而非后天习得的地位象征而获得的,来自同辈的持久尊重、钦佩和信任。
This does not require any special starting place, family situation, or financial means. It does, however, require a sense of urgency: The time horizon of our investment in Social Wealth matters. In The Good Life, the New York Times bestselling book by Marc Schulz and Harvard Study of Adult Development director Robert Waldinger, the authors point out, “Like muscles, neglected relationships atrophy.” If we incorrectly assume an infinite time horizon for our relationships—meaning that an investment in the future is effectively the same as an investment now—we may find that many of these relationships have atrophied to the point of no return by that later date.
这并不需要任何特殊的起点、家庭状况或经济条件。然而,它确实需要一种紧迫感:我们对社会财富的投资期限至关重要。在马克·舒尔茨和哈佛大学成人发展研究主任罗伯特·瓦尔丁格合著的《美好生活》(纽约时报畅销书)中,作者指出:“就像肌肉一样,被忽视的关系会萎缩。”如果我们错误地假设人际关系的期限是无限的——也就是说,对未来的投资实际上等同于对现在的投资——我们可能会发现,到未来某个时候,许多关系已经萎缩到无法挽回的地步。
If you skip those family trips in your twenties and thirties, you might not have the chance in your forties and fifties. If you fail to check in on your friends in your thirties and forties, they might not be around when you’re in your fifties and sixties. If you don’t join that local community group in your forties and fifties, you won’t have those connections in your sixties and seventies. If you don’t show up for your loved ones during their times of need, they won’t show up for you during yours.
如果你在二三十岁时错过了那些家庭旅行,到了四五十岁可能就没机会了。如果你在三四十岁时不关心朋友,到了五六十岁他们可能就不在身边了。如果你在四五十岁时不加入当地的社区团体,到了六七十岁你就不会再拥有这些联系。如果你不在亲人需要帮助的时候伸出援手,他们也不会在你需要的时候帮助你。
Investing in your Social Wealth now through daily, deliberate actions to improve your social fitness is the clearest path to developing a life rich in connections, from depth to breadth and beyond.
现在就通过每天有意识地采取行动来提升你的社交能力,从而投资于你的社交财富,这是发展人际关系丰富多彩的生活的最清晰途径,这种丰富性体现在人际关系的深度、广度以及更广阔的层面。
As you measure Social Wealth as part of your new scoreboard, the three pillars—depth, breadth, and earned status—provide a blueprint for the right action to build it. By developing an understanding of these pillars and the high-leverage systems that affect them, you can begin to create the right outcomes.
在将社会财富纳入新的衡量标准时,深度、广度和地位这三大支柱为构建社会财富提供了正确的行动蓝图。通过深入了解这些支柱以及影响它们的高杠杆系统,您可以开始创造理想的结果。
Depth is the connection to a small inner circle of people with deep, meaningful, durable bonds. It forms the foundation of your Social Wealth—the small group that you can rely on for love, connection, and support during your highest highs and your lowest lows. You know depth when you feel it. It is the people you can call at 3:00 a.m. when everything is going wrong. It is your Front-Row People.
深度,指的是与一小群核心朋友建立起的深厚、有意义且持久的联系。它构成了你社交财富的基石——在你人生的巅峰和低谷,这群人都能为你提供爱、联结和支持。当你感受到它时,你自然会明白什么是深度。它是你在凌晨三点遇到困难时可以打电话倾诉的人。它是你生命中最亲近的人。
Depth is built through three primary actions, behaviors, and attitudes:
深度是通过三种主要行动、行为和态度建立起来的:
Honesty: Sharing your inner truth and weakness, listening to theirs
诚实:分享你内心的真实想法和弱点,倾听他人的想法和弱点。
Support: Sitting in the darkness during their struggle
支持:在他们挣扎时,静静地坐在黑暗中。
Shared experience: Encountering positive and negative experiences together
共同经历:共同面对积极和消极的经历
You cultivate depth over long periods—it is forged during and across the ups and downs of life. Like a muscle, depth is built when relationships are forced to endure struggle, pain, and tension. Just as the muscle becomes stronger after being tested, so will your most durable relationships.
深厚的感情需要长久的积累——它是在人生的起伏跌宕中淬炼而成的。就像肌肉一样,感情的深度也是在经历磨难、痛苦和紧张之后才会增强的。正如肌肉在经受考验后会变得更加强壮,你最牢固的感情也会如此。
While this circle may include family members, there is no requirement that depth be found through familial relationships. Depth of connection is personal— where you find it in your life is not important; what is important is that you find it.
虽然这个圈子可能包括家庭成员,但并不要求这种深度的联结必须来自家庭关系。联结的深度是个人化的——你在生活中的哪个环节找到它并不重要;重要的是你能找到它。
One example comes from Okinawa, a Japanese island with one of the highest densities of centenarians in the world. The residents of Okinawa have a notoriously lively and structured social life. The term moai —which roughly translates to “meeting for a common purpose” [12] —refers to the friend groups that residents form during their youth (sometimes when they’re as young as five years old) and maintain throughout their lives. These friend groups are for fun as well as for social support as the inevitable challenges of life arise. The friends regularly meet, converse, gossip, laugh, and love, a system that has stood the test of time and appears to contribute to their long, healthy lives.
冲绳就是一个例子。冲绳是日本的一个岛屿,也是世界上百岁老人密度最高的地区之一。冲绳居民的社交生活丰富多彩,组织有序,这在当地是出了名的。“moai”(大致可译为“为了共同的目标而聚会”)[12]指的是居民在青少年时期(有时甚至在五岁时)就结成的朋友圈,这些朋友圈会伴随他们一生。这些朋友圈既是为了娱乐,也是为了在人生不可避免的挑战面前提供社会支持。朋友们定期聚会、交谈、闲聊、欢笑和表达爱意,这种社交模式经受住了时间的考验,似乎也有助于他们长寿健康。
Further, your circle of depth is not a constant—it has a living, fluctuating nature. Relationships, like your life, have seasons. You can build depth in new relationships in new places or grow it in old relationships that are finally ready to thrive.
此外,你的人际关系深度并非一成不变,而是鲜活的、不断变化的。人际关系如同你的人生,也有其阶段性的变化。你可以在新的环境中建立新的人际关系,也可以在那些终于准备好蓬勃发展的旧关系中深化它。
It may take many years for a relationship to blossom to the full extent of its depth. My sister is about three years my senior. For most of our childhood, I viewed her as the golden child, the one who could do no wrong. She got better grades, got into the best schools, and always seemed to excel in the areas my family valued. My immaturity created an environment of competition with my sister rather than one of joyful support and love. At times, I resented her success, wishing I were accomplishing all the things she was. Unfortunately, that immature, competitive mindset harmed the depth of our relationship through our young adulthood. But in the past few years, something amazing happened that changed everything: We both had children. Suddenly, that thin veil of competition that had clouded our relationship was torn away, and what remained was an understanding, a recognition that for the first time, we were in the same phase of life. On the same journey, in the same mud.
一段关系可能需要很多年才能发展到它应有的深度。我姐姐比我大三岁左右。在我们的童年大部分时间里,我一直把她视为天之骄女,一个完美无瑕的人。她成绩更好,考上了最好的学校,而且似乎总能在家人重视的领域脱颖而出。我的不成熟导致我和姐姐之间充满了竞争,而不是充满喜悦的支持和爱。有时,我会嫉妒她的成功,希望自己也能取得她那样的成就。不幸的是,这种不成熟、好胜的心态在我们年轻的时候损害了我们关系的深度。但在过去的几年里,发生了一件奇妙的事情,彻底改变了一切:我们都有了孩子。突然间,笼罩在我们关系上的那层薄薄的竞争面纱被撕开了,留下的是一种理解,一种认知:我们第一次真正处于人生的同一阶段。在同一条路上,在同一片泥泞中前行。
Thirty years into our relationship, we met for the first time. We could see each other with beautiful clarity; we knew each other. I have seen my relationship with my sister blossom into one of true depth—with the knowledge that there are years of unvarnished love and support ahead.
在我们相识三十年后,我们第一次见面。我们彼此的目光无比清晰,仿佛早已熟知对方。我亲眼见证了我和姐姐的感情逐渐升华,变得如此深厚——我知道,未来还有无数个年头,我们将彼此坦诚相爱,互相扶持。
The lesson: You will have a deep, loving, supportive relationship with someone you haven’t even met yet.
教训是:你将与一个素未谋面的人建立一段深厚、充满爱意、互相扶持的关系。
Depth is the foundational pillar of Social Wealth. It is built through daily actions and behaviors—honesty, support, and shared experience—embraced consistently over long periods. Without depth, you cannot live a happy, fulfilling life. With depth, anything is possible.
深度是社会财富的基石。它源于日常的行动和行为——诚实、支持和经验分享——并需长期坚持。没有深度,就无法拥有幸福充实的人生。有了深度,一切皆有可能。
From the foundation of depth with a small circle, you can build to breadth with a larger one.
从一个小圆圈的深度基础出发,你可以用一个更大的圆圈来构建宽度。
Breadth is the connection to a larger circle for support and belonging. In his book Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships, Robin Dunbar proposes the concept of circles of friendship to visualize an individual’s relationships. The innermost circle—about fifteen of your closest relationships—is the foundation of depth that we have discussed. As the circles extend outward to good friends, friends, acquaintances, and beyond, we move into the realm of breadth. These relationships are important, as they can provide varied support such as networks for career opportunities, enjoyment, warm connections to new romantic partners, and more.
广度是指与更大的圈子建立联系,从而获得支持和归属感。罗宾·邓巴在他的著作《朋友:理解我们最重要的关系的力量》中提出了友谊圈的概念,用以形象化地展现个人的人际关系。最内层的圈子——大约由十五位最亲密的朋友组成——是我们之前讨论过的深度关系的基础。随着圈子向外延伸,涵盖好朋友、普通朋友、熟人等等,我们就进入了广度的领域。这些关系非常重要,因为它们可以提供各种各样的支持,例如职业发展的人脉、娱乐、与新伴侣建立亲密联系等等。
This breadth can be built through incremental individual connections as well as through community. Community can take many forms—cultural, spiritual, local, regional, national, and more—but in its broadest sense, it is built around the connection to something bigger than the self. Participation in a community creates leverage in your Social Wealth ecosystem—it connects you to individuals you haven’t physically met. That connection instills a feeling of belonging that is a source of lasting fulfillment in life. A recent WSJ-NORC poll [13] found that the percentage of U.S. respondents who indicated community involvement, religion, and patriotism were very important to them has fallen sharply since 1998. The only core value that rose in importance: money. In the same poll, the percentage of people who reported being “not too happy” sharply increased—a fact that is hard to write off as coincidence, if you ask me.
这种广度可以通过逐步建立的个人联系以及社群来构建。社群可以采取多种形式——文化、精神、地方、区域、国家等等——但从最广义的角度来看,它是围绕着与超越自我的事物建立联系而构建的。参与社群可以提升你的社会财富生态系统——它让你与素未谋面的人建立联系。这种联系会赋予你归属感,而归属感是持久人生满足感的源泉。最近一项由《华尔街日报》和NORC公共事务研究中心联合开展的民意调查[13]发现,自1998年以来,认为社群参与、宗教和爱国主义对他们非常重要的美国受访者比例急剧下降。唯一重要性上升的核心价值观是:金钱。在同一项民意调查中,表示“不太快乐”的人的比例也大幅上升——在我看来,这很难被简单地归结为巧合。
Breadth is built through behaviors that expose you to new people and environments:
拓展视野是通过接触新人和新环境的行为来实现的:
Join a local club or community around an area of interest. It could be a book club if you love reading, an art club if you love creating, or a gym if you love fitness. Be a child again, participating in new activities to meet friends.
加入当地与你兴趣相关的俱乐部或社群。如果你热爱阅读,可以加入读书俱乐部;如果你热爱创作,可以加入艺术俱乐部;如果你热爱健身,可以加入健身房。重拾童心,积极参与各种活动,结识新朋友。
Attend a weekly spiritual gathering if you are a faith-driven individual.
如果你是一个有信仰的人,可以参加每周一次的灵修聚会。
Participate in digital meetups for causes that you care about.
参与你所关心的事业的线上聚会。
Coordinate regular walks or hikes with others in your area.
与你所在地区的其他人协调定期散步或徒步旅行。
Go to the networking event you’ve been shying away from.
去参加你一直回避的社交活动吧。
All of these create the potential for many new nodes of connection through a single action.
所有这些都为通过单一行动建立许多新的连接节点创造了可能性。
Breadth requires you to try new things, to open yourself up to the world around you. If you give generously with no expectation of return, you will build a new breadth of connection that will create lasting Social Wealth.
拓展视野需要你尝试新鲜事物,敞开心扉拥抱周围的世界。如果你慷慨付出而不求回报,你就能建立起更广泛的人脉关系,从而创造持久的社会财富。
You are a status-seeking animal—and there’s nothing wrong with that.
你是一个追求地位的人——但这并没有什么错。
Status can be defined as the standing or positioning of one person in relation to another person or group. The desire to be respected and admired by your fellow humans is natural (and evolutionarily helpful). Cecilia Ridgeway, an American sociologist and the Lucie Stern Professor in the Social Sciences at Stanford University, refers to status as “the esteem that other people have for us, how we are seen by others, how we’re evaluated, the worth they attribute to us in the situation.” [14] Status is a basic form of social currency—it dictates our interactions with those around us.
地位可以定义为一个人相对于另一个人或群体的地位或位置。渴望得到他人的尊重和钦佩是人之常情(而且在进化上也很有帮助)。美国社会学家、斯坦福大学露西·斯特恩社会科学教授塞西莉亚·里奇韦将地位定义为“他人对我们的尊重,他人如何看待我们,如何评价我们,以及他们在特定情况下赋予我们的价值。”[14] 地位是一种基本的社会资本——它决定了我们与周围人的互动方式。
While it may carry something of a negative connotation, status is a very natural (and important!) human phenomenon. In The Status Game, author Will Storr remarked, “Back in the Stone Age, increased status meant greater influence, access to a wider choice of mates and more security and resources for ourselves and our children. It still does today.” In Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior, author Geoffrey Miller noted, “Humans evolved in small social groups in which image and status were all-important, not only for survival, but for attracting mates, impressing friends, and rearing children.” Ridgeway referred to status as a “brilliant social technology,” as it enabled humans to coordinate and organize.
虽然“地位”一词可能带有某种负面含义,但它却是一种非常自然(且至关重要!)的人类现象。在《地位游戏》一书中,作者威尔·斯托尔指出:“在石器时代,地位的提升意味着更大的影响力、更广泛的择偶选择,以及自身和子女更多的安全感和资源。时至今日,依然如此。”在《消费:性、进化与消费行为》一书中,作者杰弗里·米勒指出:“人类在小型社会群体中进化,在这些群体中,形象和地位至关重要,不仅关乎生存,也关乎吸引配偶、给朋友留下深刻印象以及养育子女。”里奇韦将地位称为一种“卓越的社会技术”,因为它使人类能够进行协调和组织。
Winning the status game, it turns out, is good for your health. In a study published in 2014 in the journal Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health , a group of researchers found that among the Tsimane, a small, pre-industrial, politically egalitarian society in Amazonian Bolivia, the higher-status individuals exhibited lower levels of stress and better health. [15] Other studies have similarly shown the health benefits of sitting closer to the top of the social-status hierarchy, even when controlling for variables such as financial wealth. [16]
事实证明,赢得社会地位对健康有益。2014年发表在《进化、医学与公共卫生》杂志上的一项研究中,一组研究人员发现,在玻利维亚亚马逊地区一个小型、前工业化、政治上平等的奇马内人社会中,社会地位较高的人压力水平更低,健康状况更好。[15] 其他研究也类似地表明,即使控制了诸如经济财富等变量,在社会地位等级中处于较高位置仍然有益于健康。[16]
For our ancient ancestors, status was typically signaled through displays of physical prowess, size, or association with the most attractive mates. In today’s world, where overt demonstrations of physical fortitude are (generally) frowned upon, it’s not altogether surprising that humans choose to signal their relative position in society largely through the acquisition and display of materials. That Rolex, Range Rover, and Gucci bag—the status symbols of the present world—are the modern-day equivalents of our ancestors’ chest pounding.
对于我们的远古祖先来说,地位通常是通过展示体魄、体型或与最有吸引力的伴侣交往来彰显的。在当今世界,公开炫耀体魄(通常)不被提倡,因此,人类选择主要通过获取和炫耀物质来表明其社会地位也就不足为奇了。劳力士手表、路虎揽胜和古驰包——这些当今世界的身份象征——相当于我们祖先捶胸顿足的现代版。
The problem: The durable, lasting status you seek—the true respect and admiration of your peers—cannot be bought. What’s more, the incessant pursuit of it has led many men and women down a dark, winding road to nowhere.
问题在于:你所追求的那种持久稳固的地位——同辈人真正的尊重和钦佩——是买不到的。更糟糕的是,对这种地位的无休止追求,已经把许多人引入了一条黑暗曲折、毫无意义的道路。
You’ve undoubtedly seen others walking down this road (or done so yourself):
你肯定见过其他人走过这条路(或者你自己也走过):
You splurge on the new wardrobe but are disappointed when it goes unnoticed, overshadowed by your colleague’s new watch and shoes.
你花重金购置了新衣,却因同事的新手表和新鞋而无人问津,感到失望。
You get the fancy new car but forget about it the second you see the newer model in your neighbor’s driveway.
你买了辆漂亮的新车,但一看到邻居家车道上停着更新款的车,就把那辆新车忘得一干二净了。
You join the new club but are quickly dissatisfied when the most recognizable members leave to join the even newer one across town.
你加入了这个新俱乐部,但很快就感到不满,因为俱乐部里最有名气的成员都离开了,加入了城里另一边一个更新的俱乐部。
You buy the new home but become frustrated when you hear whispers that it isn’t in the “right” part of town.
你买下了新房,但听到有人窃窃私语说它不在城里的“正确”地段,这让你感到沮丧。
The allure of these symbols is not that you respect and admire the people who have them; it is that you imagine the respect and admiration that you will receive once you have them. As author Morgan Housel noted in his bestselling book The Psychology of Money, “When you see someone driving a nice car, you rarely think, ‘Wow, the guy driving that car is cool.’ Instead, you think, ‘Wow, if I had that car people would think I’m cool.’ ”
这些象征物的吸引力不在于你尊重和钦佩拥有它们的人,而在于你想象自己拥有它们后会获得的尊重和钦佩。正如摩根·豪塞尔在其畅销书《金钱心理学》中所指出的那样:“当你看到有人开着一辆好车时,你很少会想,‘哇,开这辆车的人真酷。’相反,你会想,‘哇,如果我有那辆车,人们会觉得我很酷。’”
To avoid falling into this trap, you have to identify the people you truly respect and admire and then determine what specific assets or traits elicit that respect and admiration. I’m willing to bet they do not include the alluring symbols you find yourself chasing. Those are fleeting; they may impress on the surface, but respect and admiration come from depth.
为了避免落入这个陷阱,你必须先找到你真正尊重和钦佩的人,然后确定哪些具体的品质或特质赢得了你的尊重和钦佩。我敢打赌,你苦苦追寻的那些诱人外表绝对不在其中。那些东西转瞬即逝;它们或许能给人留下深刻印象,但真正的尊重和钦佩源于内心深处。
Entrepreneur and investor Naval Ravikant once said, “A fit body, a calm mind, and a house full of love. These things cannot be bought—they must be earned.” The most universally treasured, valuable, and durable things in life cannot be acquired with money. The things that earn the deep respect and admiration of your peers are not for sale.
企业家兼投资人纳瓦尔·拉维坎特曾说过:“强健的体魄、平静的心灵和充满爱的家,这些东西买不到,必须靠自己争取。” 生活中最珍贵、最有价值、最持久的东西,是金钱买不到的。那些能赢得同辈人深深尊重和钦佩的东西,也是无法用金钱买到的。
This leads to an important distinction. There are two types of status—bought and earned.
这就引出了一个重要的区别。地位有两种类型——购买来的和赢得来的。
Bought status is the improved social positioning garnered through acquired status symbols:
购买地位是指通过获得地位象征而提升的社会地位:
The club membership that makes you a part of the scene
成为俱乐部会员,让你融入这个圈子。
The expensive car, watch, handbag, or jewelry acquired for the sole purpose of showing others your financial wealth
为炫耀财富而购买的昂贵汽车、手表、手提包或珠宝。
The private-plane flight or boat trip taken more for the Instagram photo than for the utility
乘坐私人飞机或乘船旅行,更多是为了在 Instagram 上拍照,而不是为了实用性。
Earned status, however, is the real respect, admiration, and trust received through hard-won treasures:
然而,真正的尊重、钦佩和信任,是通过辛勤努力赢得的财富而获得的:
The freedom to choose how to spend your time (and whom to spend it with)
自由选择如何支配自己的时间(以及与谁共度时间)
The healthy, loving family relationships made possible by years of present energy
多年来的持续努力,造就了健康、充满爱的家庭关系。
The purpose-imbued work and mastery within a domain, built through years of effort
通过多年努力,在某一领域内积累的、充满目标感的工作和精湛技艺。
The sought-after wisdom accumulated through decades of lived experience
通过数十年的生活经验积累起来的宝贵智慧
The adaptable mind capable of navigating stressful encounters shaped through a steady mindfulness practice and thoughtful introspection
通过持续的冥想练习和深思熟虑的内省,培养出能够适应压力情境的思维能力。
The strong, fit physique built through hours of movement and disciplined eating
通过长时间的运动和严格的饮食,练就了强壮健美的体格。
The professional promotion or company sale achieved after an extended period of hard work in the dark
经过长时间默默无闻的努力后取得的职业晋升或公司出售
As you will note, earned status is a natural by-product of the pursuit of a life grounded in the concepts in The 5 Types of Wealth. These status symbols may not be showy, but they convey a depth to those around you that is impossible to acquire through financial means.
正如你所看到的,地位的获得是践行《五种财富》理念的自然结果。这些地位的象征或许并不张扬,但它们能向周围的人传递一种无法通过金钱获得的深厚内涵。
Status games are a part of life and critical for establishing your position in the relative hierarchies that govern your personal and professional worlds. You will never escape them—you simply need to play the right ones.
地位游戏是生活的一部分,对于确立你在个人和职业世界中相对等级制度中的地位至关重要。你永远无法摆脱它们——你只需要玩对游戏规则。
Bought status is fleeting. It may improve your relative position, but only until the next level is unlocked and you’re right back at the bottom. It will keep you trying to enter what author C. S. Lewis famously referred to as “the inner ring”: “As long as you are governed by that desire you will never get what you want. You are trying to peel an onion; if you succeed there will be nothing left.”
购买来的地位转瞬即逝。它或许能提升你的相对地位,但只是暂时的,直到解锁下一个等级,你又会回到底层。它会让你不断尝试进入作家C·S·刘易斯所说的“内环”:“只要你受制于这种欲望,你就永远无法得到你想要的。你就像在剥洋葱;如果你成功了,就什么都不剩了。”
Earned status is lasting. It will elicit the durable respect, admiration, and trust that you seek from the people who matter to you, those whose opinions you value and cherish.
赢得的地位是持久的。它将为你赢得你所重视的人,那些你珍视其意见的人,给予你持久的尊重、钦佩和信任。
To live a life of abundant Social Wealth, focus on what must be earned, not what can be bought.
要想拥有丰富的社会财富,就要关注必须靠自己努力获得的,而不是可以用金钱买到的。
Importantly, while the pillars of Social Wealth remain the same, their application will be different for everyone, as the level of social connection people need to feel happy, healthy, and fulfilled varies from person to person. A natural extrovert might need significant breadth and depth of connection to keep loneliness at bay, while a natural introvert may need only a few close relationships to do the same. Accordingly, the systems and exercises in the Social Wealth Guide that follows are intended to be dynamic and applied in the context of your own personal needs. They are universal in their foundation but not in their application.
重要的是,虽然社交财富的支柱保持不变,但其应用方式因人而异,因为每个人所需的社交联系程度不同,才能感到幸福、健康和满足。天生外向的人可能需要广泛而深入的社交关系才能避免孤独,而天生内向的人可能只需要几个亲密关系就能达到同样的效果。因此,接下来的《社交财富指南》中的系统和练习旨在灵活运用,并根据您的个人需求进行调整。它们的基础是普适的,但具体应用方式则因人而异。
With an established understanding of the three pillars, we can move to the Social Wealth Guide, which provides the specific tools and systems to build upon these pillars and cultivate a life of Social Wealth.
在对这三大支柱有了充分的了解之后,我们可以转向社会财富指南,该指南提供了具体的工具和系统,以在这些支柱的基础上构建社会财富,并培养社会财富的生活。
跳过注释
* The Sword of Damocles is a reference to an ancient Greek story of a courtier named Damocles who is allowed by King Dionysius to sit on the throne for a day, but the entire time, a sword hangs above his head by a single thread of horsehair. The Sword of Damocles represents the constant anxiety of waiting for imminent doom.
达摩克利斯之剑源自古希腊神话,讲述了一位名叫达摩克利斯的朝臣被狄俄尼索斯国王允许在王位上坐一天,但在此期间,一把剑始终悬挂在他头顶,仅靠一根马鬃丝系着。达摩克利斯之剑象征着对即将到来的厄运的持续焦虑。
The Social Wealth Guide that follows provides specific, high-leverage systems to build each of the pillars of a life of Social Wealth. This isn’t one-size-fits-all and you shouldn’t feel compelled to read every single one; browse through and select those that feel most relevant and useful to you.
接下来的《社交财富指南》提供了一些具体的、高效的系统,帮助你构建社交财富生活的各个支柱。这并非一成不变的模式,你也不必逐条阅读;浏览并选择那些你认为最相关、最有用的部分即可。
As you consider and execute the systems for success provided in the Social Wealth Guide, use your responses to each Social Wealth statement from the Wealth Score quiz to narrow your focus to the areas where you need to make the most progress (those where you responded strongly disagree, disagree, or neutral ).
在您考虑并执行《社会财富指南》中提供的成功系统时,请使用您在财富评分测验中对每项社会财富陈述的回答,将您的注意力集中在您需要取得最大进步的领域(您回答“强烈不同意”、“不同意”或“中立”的领域)。
I have a core set of deep, loving, supportive relationships.
我拥有一系列深厚、充满爱和支持的核心人际关系。
I am consistently able to be the partner, parent, family member, and friend that I would want to have.
我始终能够成为自己想要拥有的伴侣、父母、家人和朋友。
I have a network of loose relationships I can learn from and build on.
我拥有一个松散的人脉网络,我可以从中学习并在此基础上发展。
I have a deep feeling of connection to a community (local, regional, national, spiritual, and so on) or to something bigger than myself.
我与某个社群(地方、区域、国家、精神等等)或比我自身更伟大的事物有着深厚的联系感。
I do not attempt to achieve status, respect, or admiration through material purchases.
我不会试图通过购买物质来获得地位、尊重或赞赏。
A few common Social Wealth anti-goals to avoid on your journey:
在追求社会财富的过程中,应避免以下几种常见的反向目标:
Allowing my pursuit of financial success to hurt my deepest relationships
我为了追求经济上的成功而伤害了我最亲密的关系。
Losing my connection to my local networks and community
失去了与本地人脉和社区的联系
Chasing status symbols to improve my social position
追逐身份象征以提升我的社会地位
Here are ten proven systems for building Social Wealth.
以下是十个行之有效的构建社会财富的系统。
1. Social Wealth Hacks I Wish I Knew at Twenty-Two
1. 我希望22岁时就知道的社交财富秘诀
2. The Relationship Map | Depth and Breadth
2. 关系图 | 深度与广度
3. Two Rules for Growing in Love | Depth
3. 增进爱情的两条法则 | 深度
4. 生命晚餐 | 深度
5. Helped, Heard, or Hugged | Depth
5. 帮助、倾听或拥抱 | 深度
6. The Four Principles of a Master Conversationalist | Breadth
6. 谈话高手的四大原则 | 广度
7. The Anti-Networking Guide | Breadth
7. 反人脉指南 | 广度
8. 智囊团 | 广度
9. The Public Speaking Guide | Breadth and Earned Status
9. 公开演讲指南 | 广度和成就
10. The Status Tests | Earned Status
10. 状态测试 | 已获得的状态
A collaboration with Arthur C. Brooks, social scientist, Harvard Business School professor, and number one New York Times bestselling author of From Strength to Strength and Build the Life You Want.
与社会科学家、哈佛商学院教授、纽约时报畅销书排行榜第一名《从强到强》和《打造你想要的生活》的作者亚瑟·C·布鲁克斯合作。
Happiness is not a destination but a direction; how you travel through life and whom you travel with is what counts.
幸福不是目的地,而是一个方向;你的人生旅程如何走,以及与谁同行,才是最重要的。
People are made for love—we all crave it, and we can find something lovable in just about everyone we meet. We don’t always give it or accept it, because we make a lot of mistakes, but love is what all our hearts desire.
人天生渴望爱——我们都渴望爱,而且几乎每个人身上都有值得我们爱的地方。我们并不总是付出爱或接受爱,因为我们会犯很多错误,但爱是我们所有人内心深处的渴望。
People who disagree on politics can still enjoy close relationships.
即使政治观点不同,人们仍然可以拥有亲密的关系。
Happy people love people, use things, and worship the divine; unhappy people use people, love things, and worship themselves.
快乐的人爱人、利用物、崇拜神灵;不快乐的人利用人、爱物、崇拜自己。
It’s a bad trade to be special rather than happy. That’s what people are doing when they choose the fourteenth hour of work before the first hour with their children.
为了追求与众不同而放弃快乐,这实在得不偿失。有些人宁愿工作十四个小时,也不愿花第一个小时陪伴孩子,这正是他们所做的。
Approach disagreements with your partner not as a “me” but as a “we.” The most harmonious couples are the ones who learn to play on the same team. Their predominant mode of interaction is collaborative, not competitive.
与伴侣发生分歧时,不要以“我”的视角,而要以“我们”的视角。最和谐的伴侣懂得齐心协力,他们之间的互动模式以合作为主,而非竞争。
Happiness does not depend on a certain net worth, family configuration, or set of ideological views. It requires that you be generous in love and allow yourself to be loved.
幸福并不取决于一定的净资产、家庭结构或意识形态观点。它要求你慷慨地付出爱,并允许自己被爱。
Talk to people unlike you. The social path of least resistance is to stay in your traditional friend group, where interactions are familiar and easy. The social path of greatest benefit is to stray from that traditional group and expose yourself to new beliefs, mindsets, and views.
多和与你不同的人交流。最轻松的社交方式是留在你传统的社交圈子里,那里的人际交往熟悉而轻松。而最有益的社交方式是走出这个传统圈子,让自己接触新的信仰、思维模式和观点。
Treat fighting like exercise. It will be painful, sure, but you shouldn’t be unhappy about doing it regularly, because it makes you stronger—especially if you do it in a spirit of growth, not contempt.
把打架当成锻炼。当然,这会很痛苦,但你不应该因为经常练习而感到不快,因为它能让你变得更强大——特别是如果你抱着成长而非轻蔑的态度去练习的话。
Focus on your relationships; don’t leave their quality and intensity to chance. Treat them with the kind of seriousness that people usually reserve for their money or career.
重视人际关系,不要让关系的质量和强度听天由命。要像对待金钱或事业一样认真对待它们。
When it comes to love, expand your time horizon. Thinking short term leads to bad relationships.
在爱情方面,要放眼长远。目光短浅会导致糟糕的感情关系。
True entrepreneurs risk their hearts by falling in love, even when it is risky.
真正的企业家会冒着生命危险去恋爱,即使这意味着付出真心。
Say exactly what you mean. No one—not even your family—can read your mind.
把你真正想说的说出来。没有人——即使是你的家人——能读懂你的心思。
Don’t treat your family like emotional ATMs. When people treat their family as a one-way valve of help and advice—usually, it’s parents giving and children receiving—relationships suffer.
不要把家人当作情感提款机。当人们把家人当作单向的帮助和建议来源——通常是父母付出而子女接受——时,亲子关系就会受到影响。
Make friendship an end in itself, not a stepping-stone to something else.
把友谊本身当作目的,而不是通往其他目标的跳板。
Feelings are contagious—don’t spread the virus of misery.
情绪会传染——不要传播痛苦的病毒。
Put on your own oxygen mask first. Work on your own happiness before trying to help others. Forgoing your own joy for the sake of another person might seem like the more virtuous path, but that is a lose-lose strategy.
先给自己戴上氧气面罩。在帮助别人之前,先让自己快乐起来。为了别人而放弃自己的快乐看似更高尚,但这其实是一种双输的策略。
Don’t focus on looks and status in others. Good teeth and a high-paying job don’t predict faithfulness and kindness. Seek out evidence of the two latter traits.
不要过分关注他人的外貌和社会地位。一口好牙和一份高薪工作并不能预示着忠诚和善良。要寻找后两者的真正品质。
When you think something nice about someone, let them know.
当你想到某人身上的美好之处时,一定要让他知道。
Tell your partner one thing you appreciate about them every single day.
每天都告诉你的伴侣你欣赏他们的一件事。
If you’re trying to make conversation with people who intimidate you, ask what they’re currently working on that they’re most excited about. Ask follow-ups and listen intently.
如果你想和那些让你感到畏惧的人交谈,可以问问他们目前正在做什么,以及他们最兴奋的事情。然后追问一些后续问题,并认真倾听。
When someone is going through hell, saying, “I’m with you,” is the most powerful thing you can do. Be the “darkest-hour friend” to those you love.
当有人身处逆境时,说一句“我与你同在”就是你能做的最有力的事。要做你所爱之人“最黑暗时刻的挚友”。
Record a video interview with your parents. Ask them questions and have them tell stories about their childhoods, adventures, hopes, dreams, and fears. Our time with them is finite, but we often fail to recognize that until it’s too late. These recordings will last forever.
录制一段与父母的视频访谈。问问他们一些问题,让他们讲述他们的童年故事、冒险经历、希望、梦想和恐惧。我们与他们相处的时光是有限的,但我们常常直到为时已晚才意识到这一点。这些录像将永远留存。
If you’re torn on what gift to send someone, send a book you love.
如果你不知道该送别人什么礼物,那就送一本你喜欢的书吧。
Carry a pocket notebook and pen with you everywhere you go. If someone says something interesting, take it out and write it down.
无论去哪里,都随身携带一个袖珍笔记本和一支笔。如果有人说了什么有趣的事情,就拿出来记下来。
Never keep score in life. When you’re with friends, pick up the check now and then—it all evens out if they’re real friends. Quid pro quo is a terrible way to live.
人生在世,切莫斤斤计较。和朋友聚会时,偶尔主动买单——如果是真朋友,最终都会扯平。斤斤计较是糟糕的生活方式。
If you have too many deal friends, you won’t have enough real friends.
如果你有很多只是为了赚钱而结交的朋友,你就不会有足够多的真正朋友。
If you’re about to take an emotion-induced action, wait twenty-four hours. Many relationships have been broken by actions taken in the heat of the moment. Don’t fall into that trap.
如果你即将采取冲动行动,请等待24小时。许多关系的破裂都是由于一时冲动造成的。不要落入这样的陷阱。
Give a stranger a compliment every single day. Say you like someone’s shirt or shoes, compliment the person’s haircut, whatever. Don’t use it as a conversation starter—say it and continue on.
每天都给陌生人一个赞美。比如夸夸别人的衬衫或鞋子,或者夸夸别人的发型,什么都行。不要用赞美来开启对话——说完就走,别再继续聊了。
Stop trying to be interesting and focus on being interested. Interested people give their deep attention to something to learn more about it. They open up to the world; they ask great questions and observe. Being interested is how you become interesting.
别再刻意追求有趣,而是专注于培养兴趣。真正感兴趣的人会全神贯注地钻研事物,深入了解它。他们敞开心扉拥抱世界,提出深刻的问题,并仔细观察。兴趣本身就能让你变得有趣。
In your twenties and thirties, do a few things that you’ll be excited to tell your kids about someday. Go on an adventure, train for some wild event, get your hands dirty on a crazy project, whatever. Create a few stories worth telling.
在你二三十岁的时候,做一些将来你会很乐意跟孩子们讲的事情。去冒险,为某个刺激的赛事训练,参与某个疯狂的项目,或者做任何你想做的事情。创造一些值得讲述的故事。
The relationship map is a simple exercise to assess your current social baseline and areas for focus and improvement. It is an adaptation of an exercise proposed in The Good Life by coauthors Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz.
关系图是一种简单的练习,用于评估您当前的社交基础以及需要关注和改进的领域。它改编自罗伯特·瓦尔丁格和马克·舒尔茨合著的《美好生活》一书中提出的练习。
The relationship-map exercise involves three steps:
关系图练习包括三个步骤:
The first step is to create a list of the core social relationships that occupy your life. These can include family, friends, partner, or coworker relationships. For most people, there will be about ten to fifteen relationships on this list, but others may have up to twenty-five.
第一步是列出生活中最重要的几段人际关系。这些关系包括家人、朋友、伴侣或同事关系。大多数人的清单上大约有十到十五段关系,但也有人可能有多达二十五段。
For each core relationship, ask these two assessment questions:
针对每一种核心关系,提出以下两个评估问题:
Is the relationship supportive, ambivalent, or demeaning?
这种关系是支持性的、矛盾的还是贬低性的?
Is the relationship interaction frequent or infrequent?
这段关系中的互动是频繁的还是不频繁的?
To define the key terms associated with the first assessment:
为明确与首次评估相关的关键术语:
A supportive relationship is one where there is a mutual understanding of care, love, respect, and comfort.
相互扶持的关系是指彼此理解、关爱、尊重和安慰的关系。
A demeaning relationship is characterized by the absence of the qualities of a supportive relationship and typically involves specific behavior that undermines one’s self-worth.
贬低性的关系的特点是缺乏支持性关系应有的品质,通常涉及损害个人自尊的特定行为。
An ambivalent relationship has elements of both supportive and demeaning relationships at different times—it is inconsistent.
矛盾的关系在不同时期既包含支持性的关系,也包含贬低性的关系——它是不一致的。
Surprisingly, while you might expect demeaning relationships to be the most damaging to your life, research has shown that ambivalent relationships create the most trouble for your physical and mental well-being. For example, one study [17] found that participants experienced higher blood pressure after an interaction with someone who inspired mixed feelings than with someone who inspired purely negative feelings. The inconsistency of the interactions is damaging.
令人惊讶的是,你或许会认为贬低性的关系对生活危害最大,但研究表明,矛盾的关系对身心健康的影响更大。例如,一项研究[17]发现,与那些让你感觉复杂的人相比,那些让你感觉纯粹负面的人在与你互动后,你的血压会更高。这种互动的不一致性是有害的。
You have likely experienced a relationship like this in your own life, a person who provides love and support at some times but criticism and contempt at others. The love and support cause you to open up, let the person in, which makes the future criticism and contempt all the more painful. As bestselling author Adam Grant wrote in a New York Times opinion piece on the topic, “The most toxic relationships aren’t the purely negative ones. They’re the ones that are a mix of positive and negative.” [18]
你可能在生活中也经历过类似的关系:对方有时给予你爱和支持,有时却又批评你、轻蔑你。爱和支持让你敞开心扉,接纳对方,这使得日后的批评和轻蔑更加痛苦。正如畅销书作家亚当·格兰特在《纽约时报》一篇关于此主题的评论文章中所写:“最具毒性的关系并非纯粹的负面关系,而是正面和负面交织的关系。”[18]
After you have assessed your core relationships, place them on a relationship map, a simple two-by-two grid with Relationship Health on the x-axis (from demeaning to supportive) and Relationship Frequency on the y-axis (from rare to daily).
评估完你的核心关系后,将它们放在关系图上,这是一个简单的二乘二网格,x 轴表示关系健康状况(从贬低到支持),y 轴表示关系频率(从罕见到每天)。
Once the core relationships are placed on the relationship map, consider the relevant zones and the implications for each:
将核心关系放置在关系图中后,考虑相关区域以及每个区域的影响:
Green Zone: Highly supportive and frequent. These relationships should be prioritized and focused on to maintain their position and strength.
绿色区域:支持性强且互动频繁。应优先考虑并重点维护这些关系,以保持其地位和稳固性。
Opportunity Zone: Highly supportive and infrequent. These relationships should be focused on to increase frequency of interactions.
机会区:支持性强但机会不多。应重点关注这些关系,以增加互动频率。
Danger Zone: Ambivalent and frequent. These relationships should be managed to reduce the frequency of impact or to improve the supportiveness of the interactions.
危险区域:矛盾且频繁出现。应妥善处理这些关系,以减少其影响发生的频率或提升互动中的支持性。
Red Zone: Demeaning and frequent. These relationships should be managed or removed to reduce frequency of impact.
红色区域:具有侮辱性且频繁发生。应管理或消除这些关系,以减少其影响频率。
To bring this to life, here are the findings from my first experience with the exercise:
为了更形象地说明这一点,以下是我第一次进行这项练习的发现:
Green Zone: Fortunately, there were several relationships that I identified as being both frequent and supportive. I will continue to prioritize these relationships and make sure I am letting these people know how much they mean to me.
绿区:幸运的是,我发现了一些既频繁又支持我的关系。我会继续重视这些关系,并确保让他们知道他们对我有多么重要。
Opportunity Zone: I identified over ten relationships that were infrequent but very supportive, some with old friends and colleagues and a few with family members. I deliberately increased the frequency of interactions with this group in various ways, including through group trips and more casual check-ins (texts, calls).
机会区:我找到了十多段联系不多但非常有益的关系,其中一些是老朋友和同事,还有一些是家人。我特意增加了与这些人的互动频率,方式多种多样,包括组织集体旅行和更随意的联系(短信、电话)。
Danger Zone: There were three relationships that I flagged as being frequent and ambivalent (inconsistent, both supportive and demeaning). In one case, I communicated directly with the individual (a family member) to explain how certain behaviors felt demeaning. The open communication led to improved interactions, and this relationship is now pushing into the Green Zone. In the other two cases, I reduced the frequency of my interactions with the individuals, which has pushed them out of the Danger Zone.
危险区:我标记了三段频繁且矛盾的关系(时好时坏,既有支持也有贬低)。其中一段关系,我直接与当事人(一位家庭成员)沟通,解释了某些行为让我感到受辱。坦诚的沟通改善了彼此的互动,这段关系现在正朝着绿色区域迈进。另外两段关系,我减少了与当事人的互动频率,使他们脱离了危险区。
Red Zone: There was one professional relationship—a partner in one of my businesses—that I identified as being both frequent and demeaning. With the nature of the relationship identified, I made the decision to communicate a staged exit from my involvement with the business. It took six months, but once it was completed, the frequency of the demeaning interactions was significantly reduced.
红区:我发现与我某家公司的合伙人之间存在一段职业关系,这段关系既频繁又带有贬低意味。在明确了这段关系的性质后,我决定分阶段退出这家公司。这个过程持续了六个月,但一旦完成,那些带有贬低意味的互动频率就显著降低了。
With a completed relationship map in hand, you are well equipped to focus on the relationships that create the most energy, value, and emotional prosperity in your life.
有了完整的关系图,你就能更好地专注于那些能为你的生活带来最大能量、价值和情感幸福的关系。
The relationship map is not static; it’s highly dynamic. Relationships will shift on the map, and you will undoubtedly add and remove people across the various seasons of your life, so it’s worth revisiting the exercise regularly.
人际关系图并非一成不变,而是高度动态的。关系图上的内容会不断变化,而且在你人生的不同阶段,你无疑会增减人际关系,因此定期回顾并梳理人际关系是值得的。
Whom you choose to partner with in life is the single most important decision you will ever make.
人生中你选择与谁共度余生,是你一生中最重要的一项决定。
Recall the graphs from the Time Wealth section of whom you spend your time with. Your partner is the only person with whom you spend more and more time up until the end.
回想一下“时间财富”部分中的图表,看看你把时间花在了谁身上。你的伴侣是唯一一个你陪伴时间越来越多,直到生命尽头的人。
I have been extremely fortunate in my own experience and observation of love. At the time of this writing, my wife and I have been married for seven years and together for over seventeen, since we met and started dating in high school. My parents have been married for forty-two years, my wife’s parents for over thirty, and all our grandparents were married up until the end.
我非常幸运,亲身经历了爱情的种种美好。写下这些文字时,我和妻子已经结婚七年,相识相恋十七年,我们高中时就相识相恋。我的父母结婚四十二年,我妻子的父母结婚三十多年,我们所有的祖父母都白头偕老。
I learned a tremendous amount from being surrounded by these relationships. Most important, I learned about what it means to grow in love.
在这些关系中,我受益匪浅。最重要的是,我明白了在爱中成长意味着什么。
Falling in love is easy. Growing in love is hard. Falling is what you see on social media. Growing is what you don’t see. Growing in love is about developing and deepening a bond through discomfort, painful periods, darkness, hard conversations, and challenges. Growing in love happens over long periods, across seasons of life, in waves that come and go. Growing in love is what creates the depth of a lifelong bond.
坠入爱河很容易,培养爱情却很难。坠入爱河是你在社交媒体上看到的,而培养爱情则是你看不见的。培养爱情意味着在不适、痛苦的时期、黑暗、艰难的对话和挑战中发展和加深彼此的联系。培养爱情是一个漫长的过程,贯穿人生的各个阶段,如同潮起潮落。正是培养爱情,才能成就一段终生相伴的深厚情谊。
There are two rules that I have observed couples who successfully grow in love follow, both of which have been particularly valuable in my wife’s and my relationship.
我观察到,那些爱情美满的伴侣都遵循两条规则,这两条规则对我和我妻子的关系都特别有价值。
In 1992, a Baptist pastor named Gary Chapman published a book called The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. Chapman suggested that there are five love languages that govern the way romantic partners give, receive, and experience love:
1992年,一位名叫加里·查普曼的浸信会牧师出版了一本书,名为《爱的五种语言:如何向伴侣表达真挚的承诺》。查普曼提出,有五种爱的语言支配着伴侣表达、接受和体验爱的方式:
Words of affirmation: Verbal expressions of love and affection. People who use this love language feel most loved when they hear compliments, words of encouragement, and expressions of appreciation.
肯定的话语:用言语表达爱意和情感。使用这种爱的语言的人,在听到赞美、鼓励和赞赏的话语时,会感到最被爱。
Quality time: Time and present, dedicated energy. People who use this love language feel loved when their partners give them undivided attention and spend quality time with them. They are present in the moment, engage in meaningful conversations, and create shared experiences together.
高质量陪伴:时间和专注的投入。使用这种爱的语言的人,如果伴侣能给予他们全心全意的关注,并与他们共度高质量时光,他们就会感到被爱。他们全身心地投入当下,进行有意义的对话,并共同创造美好的回忆。
Gifts: People who use this love language value the thought and effort behind gifts. They feel loved when receiving thoughtful and meaningful gifts.
礼物:使用这种爱的语言的人重视礼物背后的心意和用心。收到精心准备且有意义的礼物,他们会感到被爱。
Acts of service: People who use this love language value actions over words. They feel loved when their partners perform acts of service to make their lives easier or more comfortable (doing household chores, running errands, or taking on tasks to lighten their load).
服务行动:使用这种爱的语言的人更重视行动而非言语。当伴侣采取行动让他们的生活更轻松或更舒适时(例如做家务、跑腿或承担一些任务来减轻他们的负担),他们会感到被爱。
Physical touch: People who use this love language find that physical, human connection is what makes them feel most loved—hugs, kisses, holding hands, cuddling, and other forms of physical contact. Nonsexual touch is just as important as sexual intimacy for them.
肢体接触:使用这种爱的语言的人认为,身体上的、人与人之间的联结最能让他们感受到爱——拥抱、亲吻、牵手、依偎以及其他形式的身体接触。对他们来说,非性接触与性亲密同样重要。
The awareness and recognition of your and your partner’s love language is essential for a thriving relationship because it allows each of you to show up in the way that is most effective for the other person.
了解并认可自己和伴侣的爱的语言对于一段健康发展的关系至关重要,因为它可以让你们彼此以对对方最有效的方式表达爱意。
For example, I know that my wife’s love language is physical touch. When she’s upset or stressed, a hug or back rub is more effective than any other actions I can possibly take. When she’s feeling great, a hand-hold and kiss on the cheek creates a powerful, lasting feeling of connection. For years, I struggled to meet her where she needed me to be, simply because I was not aware that this physical connection was all that she required from me at difficult moments.
例如,我知道我妻子的爱的语言是肢体接触。当她难过或压力大时,一个拥抱或轻柔的背部按摩比我能做的任何其他事情都更有效。当她心情愉悦时,牵手和亲吻脸颊就能建立起一种强烈而持久的联结感。多年来,我一直努力在她需要我的时候给予她支持,仅仅是因为我没有意识到,在她遇到困难的时候,这种肢体接触就是她所需要的全部。
To put the five love languages into practice, make it into a game with your partner. Sit down together and take a free quiz at 5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language . Guess each other’s love language before starting and see if you were right. After you’ve determined the correct answers, consider how you can incorporate the understanding of each other’s love languages into your day-to-day interactions and expressions of love. Your relationship will benefit from the consideration.
为了将五种爱的语言付诸实践,不妨和伴侣一起玩个游戏。坐下来,一起做个免费的测试(网址:5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/love-language)。开始测试前,先猜猜对方的爱的语言,看看猜得对不对。确定答案后,思考一下如何将对彼此爱的语言的理解融入到日常互动和表达爱意的方式中。你们的感情一定会因此受益。
Earlier in the book, I mentioned a quip from the late Charlie Munger: “All I want to know is where I’m going to die so I’ll never go there.” Consider the importance of this line in the context of your romantic relationships: Know where your relationship is going to die so you’ll never go there.
在本书前面部分,我提到过已故的查理·芒格的一句妙语:“我只想知道我会在哪里死去,这样我就永远不会去那里。” 想想这句话在你的恋爱关系中有多重要:知道你的感情会在哪里走向终结,这样你就永远不会重蹈覆辙。
Fortunately, psychologist John Gottman has done the hard work of finding where that place is. His research predicts who will eventually get divorced, and in one such experiment was shown to be correct a stunning 94 percent of the time.
幸运的是,心理学家约翰·戈特曼已经完成了寻找答案的艰巨工作。他的研究可以预测谁最终会离婚,其中一项实验表明,他的预测准确率高达94%。
In a seminal 1992 study, Dr. Gottman and his team interviewed fifty-two married couples. They asked them a variety of questions about how they met, why they decided to get married, and what changes their relationships had been through and observed them as they took part in a fifteen-minute discussion about a current area of relationship conflict. Based on the short interviews and observations, Dr. Gottman and his team were able to predict with 94 percent accuracy which couples would stay together and which would separate within three years of the study.
在1992年一项具有里程碑意义的研究中,戈特曼博士及其团队采访了52对已婚夫妇。他们询问了这些夫妇一系列问题,包括他们是如何相识的、为什么决定结婚以及他们的关系经历了哪些变化,并观察了他们就当前关系冲突进行15分钟讨论的过程。基于这些简短的访谈和观察,戈特曼博士及其团队能够以94%的准确率预测哪些夫妇会在研究结束后的三年内继续在一起,哪些夫妇会分道扬镳。
Dr. Gottman described the four communication styles that consistently appeared in relationships that went on to fail (he called them “the Four Horsemen,” a nod to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse).
戈特曼博士描述了在最终失败的关系中反复出现的四种沟通风格(他称之为“四骑士”,这是对《启示录》中四骑士的致敬)。
I consider these the places where your relationship will go to die:
我认为以下这些地方会成为你们感情破裂的导火索:
Criticism: While articulating a complaint is fair game and necessary for a healthy relationship, Dr. Gottman defined criticism as an ad hominem attack on the other person.
批评:虽然表达不满是合理的,也是健康关系所必需的,但戈特曼博士将批评定义为对对方的人身攻击。
Defensiveness: In response to criticism, most people will try to protect themselves through defensive strategies with excuses. When we are defensive, we fail to be accountable for our failures and actions.
防御心理:面对批评,大多数人会试图通过辩解和借口来保护自己。当我们处于防御状态时,我们就无法为自己的失败和行为承担责任。
Contempt: Treating the partner with disrespect, attacking the person’s character and core. Dr. Gottman’s research revealed contempt to be the single greatest predictor of divorce.
蔑视:对伴侣不尊重,攻击对方的人格和核心价值观。戈特曼博士的研究表明,蔑视是离婚的最重要预测因素。
Stonewalling: In response to contempt, one or both partners may simply shut down, preferring to entirely evade engagement on the issue.
冷战:面对蔑视,一方或双方可能会直接关闭沟通渠道,宁愿完全回避讨论该问题。
With an awareness of where your relationship will go to die, you can focus on never going there. If you notice these communication styles cropping up in your relationship, Dr. Gottman and his team developed a set of “antidotes” that are effective in fighting back:
意识到你们的关系会走向何方,你就可以专注于避免重蹈覆辙。如果你发现你们的关系中出现了这些沟通方式,戈特曼博士及其团队开发了一套有效的“应对之法”:
Criticism antidote (the gentle start-up): Focus on a complaint without blame by avoiding the word you and focusing on the word I . This reframe avoids blame and focuses instead on what you feel or need from your partner.
应对批评的良方(温和的开场白):避免使用“你”这个词,而要用“我”这个词来表达不满,这样就不会指责对方。这种重新构建的框架可以避免指责,而是将重点放在你对伴侣的感受或需求上。
Defensiveness antidote (take responsibility): Acknowledge and accept your partner’s perspective and offer an apology for actions or behaviors that created the perspective.
防御心理的解药(承担责任):承认并接受伴侣的观点,并为导致这种观点的行为道歉。
Contempt antidote (build a culture of appreciation): Create a regular reminder of your partner’s positive traits, actions, or behaviors and ground yourself in gratitude for those features.
消除轻蔑的良方(建立欣赏的文化):经常提醒你的伴侣积极的品质、行为或举止,并对这些特质心存感激。
Stonewalling antidote (physiological self-soothing): Pause and take a break. Spend that time engaged in a soothing, distracting, or relaxing activity, like walking, breathing mindfully, or sitting with your eyes closed.
应对冷战的良方(生理上的自我安抚):暂停片刻,休息一下。利用这段时间进行一些舒缓、分散注意力或放松的活动,例如散步、正念呼吸或闭目静坐。
Developing an understanding of the common traps on the journey and learning how to avoid them has been a huge positive for my wife’s and my relationship. I’m certain it will be one for yours as well.
了解旅途中常见的陷阱并学会如何避免它们,对我和妻子的关系来说是一件非常有益的事情。我相信这对你们的关系也会有同样的效果。
For my wife’s and my seventh wedding anniversary on December 17, 2023, I asked couples who had been married forty, fifty, or even sixty years a simple question:
2023年12月17日是我和妻子结婚七周年纪念日,我向一些结婚四十年、五十年甚至六十年的夫妇提出了一个简单的问题:
What relationship advice would you give to your younger selves?
你会给年轻时的自己什么恋爱建议?
The participants ranged from a mid-sixties couple who had just celebrated their fortieth anniversary to a ninety-nine-year-old who had just celebrated sixty-six years of happiness with his bride. In total, the advice captured more than five hundred years of earned wisdom from these beautiful relationships.
参与者年龄跨度很大,从一对刚刚庆祝完四十周年结婚纪念日的六十多岁夫妇,到一位刚刚与妻子庆祝完六十六周年幸福婚姻的九十九岁老人。这些建议总共汇集了五百多年来从这些美好关系中汲取的智慧。
Here are ten pieces of relationship advice that everyone needs to hear:
以下是每个人都需要听的十条恋爱建议:
Never keep score in love. Scoreboards are for sports games, not marriages.
爱情里永远不要计较输赢。记分牌是体育比赛用的,不是婚姻用的。
Maintain interests and passions separate from your partner’s. Marriage should not be the end of individuality.
保持与伴侣不同的兴趣爱好。婚姻不应成为个性的终结。
It can’t always be fifty-fifty. Sometimes it will be ninety-ten; sometimes it will be ten-ninety. All that matters is that it adds up to one hundred.
不可能总是五五开。有时候是九十比一,有时候是十分之九。重要的是,加起来是一百。
One man said, “Never stop dating. I’m ninety-nine and still courting my wife!” Marriages don’t get boring; you stop trying.
一位男士说:“永远不要停止约会。我99岁了,还在追求我的妻子!”婚姻不会变得无聊,只会是因为你不再努力。
No one has ever argued their way to a happy marriage. When facing a challenge, face it together.
争吵永远无法带来幸福的婚姻。面对挑战,要携手共进。
You cannot take care of your partner if you aren’t taking care of yourself. Make a list of your daily needs to feel good and have your partner do the same. Make sure you and your partner are able to do the things on that list.
如果你不照顾好自己,就无法照顾好你的伴侣。列出你每天需要做哪些事情才能感觉良好,也让你的伴侣这样做。确保你和你的伴侣都能做到清单上的每一件事。
Never involve nonprofessional third parties (parents, friends, siblings, coworkers) in disagreements. You’ll forget about it, but they won’t.
永远不要让非专业人士(父母、朋友、兄弟姐妹、同事)卷入争执。你会忘记这件事,但他们不会。
Your spouse should always take priority over your birth family. Remember that when the two feel in conflict.
你的配偶应该永远优先于你的原生家庭。当两者发生冲突时,请记住这一点。
Complementarity is just as important as compatibility. Allow each other the space to lead within different domains in your relationship.
互补性与兼容性同样重要。在你们的关系中,要允许彼此在不同的领域发挥主导作用。
Your love is yours. Forget the approval of others. You won’t be able to make everyone happy. Accept that and embrace each other.
你的爱只属于你,别在意别人的认可。你不可能让每个人都满意,接受这一点,然后拥抱彼此。
I’ll close by repeating the beautiful line from the ninety-four-year-old woman who took part in the birthday exercise I mentioned in the beginning of the book:
最后,我想再次引用我在本书开头提到的那位参加生日活动的94岁老妇人的一句优美话语:
“When in doubt, love. The world can always use more love.”
“迷茫时,就去爱。这个世界永远需要更多的爱。”
The Life Dinner is a powerful monthly relationship ritual originated by entrepreneur Brad Feld.
“生活晚餐”是由企业家布拉德·费尔德发起的一项强有力的每月一次的亲密关系仪式。
The problem: Over time, your life becomes increasingly hectic. It is easy to allow your relationship with your partner to sit on the back burner while you deal with the more pressing fires of day-to-day life. While this may seem okay in the short term, it can lead to problems in the long term.
问题在于:随着时间的推移,你的生活会变得越来越忙碌。在应对日常生活中那些更紧迫的事情时,很容易忽略与伴侣的关系。虽然短期内这似乎没什么问题,但从长远来看,却会导致各种问题。
The solution: A fixed monthly date to sit down for a meal with your partner to reflect on personal, professional, and relationship progress, challenges, and goals. The Life Dinner is a thoughtful way to keep your relationship thriving despite the time constraints and stresses of daily life.
解决方案:每月固定一天与伴侣共进晚餐,反思个人、职业和关系方面的进展、挑战和目标。“生活晚餐”是一种贴心的方式,即使在时间紧迫和日常生活压力重重的情况下,也能让你们的感情保持活力。
A few specifics for conducting your Life Dinner ritual:
以下是进行“生命晚餐”仪式的一些具体细节:
Set a recurring monthly date.
设置每月重复日期。
Pick a favorite spot, explore a new place, or cook a meal at home.
选择一个你喜欢的地方,探索一个新地方,或者在家做一顿饭。
If you don’t have time for a full meal, do it over a coffee or a drink.
如果你没有时间吃一顿正餐,那就边喝咖啡或饮料边吃吧。
The point is to make it a sacred monthly ritual.
关键是要把它变成一项神圣的每月仪式。
Three areas to cover in the discussion:
讨论将涵盖以下三个方面:
Personal
个人的
Professional
专业的
Relationship
关系
Within each area, each person should have the floor to reflect on the prior month’s progress and challenges and discuss forward-looking goals. After both of you have had your time, you can discuss key items as a team. The goal is to give each of you time to speak freely before the joint discussion.
在每个领域内,每个人都应该有机会回顾上个月的进展和挑战,并讨论未来的目标。在你们各自发言完毕后,你们可以作为一个团队讨论关键事项。这样做的目的是在进行团队讨论之前,让每个人都有时间自由发言。
My wife and I love the Life Dinner because it creates a structure through which we can grow together. Since we had our son, in May 2022, it’s been a critical part of our system for ensuring we continue to grow together despite having a newborn in the house.
我和妻子都很喜欢“生命晚餐”,因为它为我们共同成长提供了一个框架。自从2022年5月儿子出生以来,它就成了我们生活中至关重要的一部分,确保即使家里有了新生儿,我们也能继续共同成长。
If you’re in a relationship but find it difficult to slow down in the face of life’s chaos, I’d encourage you to give the Life Dinner a shot. At worst, you’ll get a nice meal together—but I’m willing to bet you’ll get much more out of it than that!
如果你正处于一段感情关系中,却发现很难在生活的纷扰中慢下来,我鼓励你尝试一下“生活晚餐”。最坏的结果,你们也能一起享用一顿美味的晚餐——但我敢打赌,你会从中获得远不止这些!
I’m a fixer: When people come to me with problems, my bias is to try to fix them. This is (mostly) good in a professional context, but when I bring this bias into my relationships, the results can be decidedly mixed. Over the years, my fix-it mentality led to a lot of tense moments with my wife, family, and friends. They’d come to me with a problem, and I would immediately start deconstructing the situation and offering potential solutions. I found it puzzling that the other person often rejected my solutions and withdrew (or even became angry with me for offering them).
我是一个“问题解决者”:当人们带着问题来找我时,我总是倾向于帮他们解决问题。这在工作场合(通常)是好事,但如果我把这种倾向带到人际关系中,结果就可能好坏参半了。多年来,我的这种“问题解决”心态导致我和妻子、家人以及朋友之间出现了很多紧张的时刻。他们遇到问题来找我,我会立刻开始分析情况,并提出可能的解决方案。令我费解的是,对方常常拒绝我的方案,甚至会因此疏远我(或者因为我提出方案而生气)。
What I came to realize (after far too long) was this: Sometimes people don’t want you to fix it. They just want you to be there with them.
我过了很久才明白:有时候人们并不想让你解决问题,他们只是希望你陪伴在他们身边。
The “helped, heard, or hugged” method is used by therapists, teachers, and counselors, but it is also immensely helpful in improving your handling of these everyday relationship situations; it allows you to give other people what they need. [19]
“帮助、倾听或拥抱”的方法被治疗师、教师和咨询师使用,但它对于改善你处理这些日常人际关系情况也大有裨益;它让你能够给予他人他们需要的东西。[19]
When someone you love comes to you with a problem, ask, “Do you want to be helped, heard, or hugged?”
当你爱的人带着问题来找你时,问问他们:“你是想得到帮助、倾听,还是拥抱?”
Helped: Deconstruct the problem and identify potential solutions. The fix-it mentality can come out to play.
帮助:分析问题并找出潜在的解决方案。此时可以发挥“解决问题”的思维模式。
Heard: Listen intently and allow the other person to express (and vent) as needed.
认真倾听,并允许对方在需要时表达(和发泄)。
Hugged: Provide comforting physical touch. Touch is a powerful love language for many (including my wife). Sometimes people just want to feel your presence with them.
拥抱:给予令人感到安慰的身体接触。对许多人来说(包括我的妻子),触摸是一种强有力的爱的语言。有时候,人们只是想感受到你的陪伴。
The idea is to ask the question to create a two-way awareness of what is needed in the situation. This awareness snapped me out of my fixer default setting. Rather than showing up for loved ones in the way that was convenient and natural for me, I was forced to meet others in the way that was best suited for them .
这样做的目的是通过提问,建立一种双向沟通,了解对方在当前情况下需要什么。这种意识让我摆脱了“解决问题”的惯性思维。我不再像以前那样以方便自然的方式对待亲人,而是被迫以最适合他们的方式来对待他们。
PS: Specifically asking “Do you want to be helped, heard, or hugged?” can be helpful at first, but after a while, a recognizable pattern should emerge.
PS:一开始直接问“你想得到帮助、倾听还是拥抱?”可能会有帮助,但过一段时间后,应该会呈现出某种可识别的模式。
If you’re anything like me and have struggled to appropriately identify what your partner, friend, or family member needed in a situation, give the “helped, heard, or hugged” method a shot.
如果你和我一样,一直难以恰当地判断你的伴侣、朋友或家人在某种情况下需要什么,不妨试试“帮助、倾听或拥抱”的方法。
The skilled conversationalist can take many different forms:
善于交谈的人可以有很多不同的表现形式:
Extrovert or introvert
外向型或内向型
Theatrical storyteller or prudent fact deliverer
戏剧化的讲故事者还是谨慎的事实传递者
Giver or taker
给予者或接受者
The point is that your natural predisposition does not make or break your ability to become a skilled conversationalist. The extrovert who constantly runs away with conversations and doesn’t let the other person get a word in is just as challenged as the introvert who refuses to create forward momentum with active listening or progressions. The goal is to make the most of our natural skill sets and become the best conversationalists we can be.
关键在于,你的天性倾向并不能决定你是否能成为一名优秀的谈话者。那些总是滔滔不绝、不给对方说话机会的外向者,和那些拒绝积极倾听或推进谈话进程的内向者一样,都面临着同样的挑战。我们的目标是充分发挥自身的天赋,成为最好的谈话者。
Here are four core principles of the master conversationalist that anyone, regardless of natural disposition, can use:
以下是谈话高手的四项核心原则,任何人,无论天性如何,都可以运用这些原则:
An improvisation artist once referred to the concept of “doorknobs” in conversations. Most questions are like stop signs: They invite an answer that naturally ends the conversation. Doorknobs are questions or statements that invite the other person to open them and walk through. They invite the other person to start telling a story.
一位即兴表演艺术家曾提到过对话中的“门把手”概念。大多数问题就像停车标志:它们会引出一个自然而然结束对话的答案。而“门把手”则是邀请对方打开它、走进去的问题或陈述。它们邀请对方开始讲述一个故事。
An example:
举例来说:
Stop-sign question: Where did you get married?
停车标志问题:你们在哪里结婚的?
Doorknob question: How did you decide on the wedding venue?
门把手上的问题:你们是如何决定婚礼场地的?
The stop-sign version likely leads to a conversational stop when the person responds with a location. The doorknob version likely leads to a story.
如果对方用停车标志来指代某个地方,对话很可能会就此结束。而如果对方用门把手来指代某个地方,则很可能会引出一个故事。
Every story offers new opportunities for you, the listener, to further the connection and discourse. Doorknobs create stories—you should create the doorknobs.
每个故事都为听众提供了新的机会,可以进一步加深彼此的联系和交流。门把手能创造故事——你应该创造这些门把手。
Here is a set of great doorknobs that I like to use in conversations. Choose a few to incorporate in your tool kit and use them the next time you’re in an unfamiliar social or professional situation. I’d recommend thinking about your own response to these topics, as you will likely encounter situations where the person flips them on you to get the conversation moving.
这里有一些我喜欢在谈话中用到的绝妙话题。你可以挑选几个加入你的“百宝箱”,下次遇到不熟悉的社交或工作场合时就能派上用场了。我建议你事先想好自己对这些话题的回应,因为你很可能会遇到对方用这些话题来打开话匣子的情况。
What are you most excited about right now, personally or professionally?
你现在最兴奋的事情是什么,无论是个人方面还是职业方面?
What was your favorite (or least favorite) thing about your hometown?
你最喜欢(或最不喜欢)家乡的什么?
What’s the origin of your name? Why did your parents give you that name?
你的名字是怎么来的?你的父母为什么给你取这个名字?
What is the most interesting thing you’ve read or learned recently?
你最近读到或学到的最有趣的事情是什么?
What is the best movie or show you’ve seen recently? What made it so compelling to you?
最近看过最好的电影或剧集是什么?它最吸引你的地方是什么?
What’s been making you smile recently?
最近有什么事让你感到开心吗?
If you had an entire day to yourself with zero responsibilities, how would you spend it?
如果你有一天完全属于自己,没有任何责任,你会怎么度过?
What do you remember as some of the more formative moments of your life? What made them so formative?
你还记得人生中哪些对你影响最为深远的时刻吗?是什么让它们如此重要?
What have you changed your mind about recently?
你最近对哪些事情改变了想法?
If you could have dinner with three to five people from any point in history, who would you choose and why?
如果你可以和历史上任何时期的 3 到 5 位人物共进晚餐,你会选择谁?为什么?
What is something you’ve purchased for a little money that has made a big difference in your life?
你花很少的钱买过什么东西,却对你的生活产生了很大的影响?
How do you escape or unwind?
你如何放松身心或逃离现实?
What is the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
别人为你做过的最暖心的事是什么?
These are in no particular order, but they’ve all been effective and led to deep connections with new and old friends in my life.
这些方法没有特定的顺序,但它们都非常有效,并让我与生活中的新老朋友建立了深厚的联系。
In his New York Times bestselling book How to Know a Person, David Brooks referred to the idea of loud listening. Loud listening can take many forms, but generally, the listeners act to let the speakers know that they are being heard and felt.
在《纽约时报》畅销书《如何了解一个人》中,大卫·布鲁克斯提到了“大声倾听”的概念。大声倾听可以有很多种形式,但总的来说,倾听者会通过行动让说话者知道他们的声音被听到、被感受到。
A few examples of loud listening:
以下是一些大声聆听的例子:
Sounds: Saying “Yes” or “Uh-huh” or “Hmm” to signal listening and encourage continued energy from the speaker
声音:发出“是的”、“嗯哼”或“嗯”的声音,表示在听,并鼓励发言者继续保持热情。
Facial expressions: Changing facial expressions to react to the story being told
面部表情:通过改变面部表情来对所讲述的故事做出反应。
Body language: A forward-leaning posture toward the speaker signals engagement and positive energy. Never turn away or turn sideways, as it signals you are trying to leave a conversation and immediately hurts the energy of a moment.
肢体语言:身体前倾面向说话者,表示积极参与并充满正能量。切勿转身或侧身,因为这会让人觉得你想离开谈话,立刻破坏气氛。
We’ve all been in conversations where it becomes very clear the other person is uninterested in who we are or what we have to say. We know that feeling. Don’t create it for others.
我们都经历过这样的对话:对方显然对我们是谁或我们想说什么都不感兴趣。我们都体会过这种感觉。不要让别人也经历这种感觉。
Active listening leads directly to the “repeat and follow” method: Repeat key points back to the speaker in your own words and follow that with an additional insight, story, or doorknob question. This is an opportunity to relay the things you agree or disagree with and shows engaged listening. It builds conversational momentum and cements connection.
积极倾听直接引出“复述与跟进”法:用自己的话复述对方的关键点,并在此基础上补充一些见解、故事或提出一些启发性问题。这既能让你表达赞同或反对的观点,又能展现你积极倾听的态度。它有助于推动对话,巩固彼此间的联系。
Eye contact is nuanced—too little and you look shifty; too much and you look psychotic.
眼神交流是一门微妙的艺术——眼神交流太少会显得心不在焉,眼神交流太多则会显得精神错乱。
I like situational eye contact:
我喜欢情境性的眼神交流:
Deep and connected while the other person speaks
对方说话时,我的注意力高度集中,彼此心意相通。
Organic while you speak. It’s okay to gaze off while you think, but use eye contact to emphasize key points and moments in a story.
说话时要自然流畅。思考时目光游离是可以的,但要用眼神交流来强调故事中的关键点和重要时刻。
If you focus on those four core principles, you’ll immediately improve your overall ability as a conversationalist. Whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, a storyteller or a fact deliverer, you have the potential to be a great conversationalist. Mastering the art and science of conversation will pay off professionally but, more important, personally, as it leads to the meaningful connections that provide new texture and richness to life.
如果你专注于这四个核心原则,你的谈话能力将立即得到提升。无论你是内向还是外向,是擅长讲故事还是喜欢陈述事实,你都有潜力成为一名优秀的谈话者。掌握谈话的艺术和技巧不仅会让你在职业生涯中受益匪浅,更重要的是,它还能帮助你建立有意义的人际关系,为生活增添新的色彩和丰富性。
Use the four core principles to get started on your journey to becoming a master conversationalist.
运用这四项核心原则,开启你成为谈话高手的旅程。
Harsh truth: Networking is dead…at least in the traditional sense of the word networking .
残酷的现实是:人脉已死……至少在传统意义上的人脉已死。
You don’t get anywhere by accumulating thousands of transactional personal and professional connections. You get somewhere by building genuine relationships:
靠积累成千上万个交易性的人脉关系是无法取得任何成就的。只有建立真正的人际关系才能让你有所成就。
Giving with no intention of receiving in return
不求回报的付出
Acting in the service of others
为他人服务
Creating value for those around you
为身边的人创造价值
Those who invest in building relationships rather than networking will reap the most valuable long-term rewards—health, wealth, and happiness.
那些投资于建立人际关系而不是拓展人脉的人,将会获得最有价值的长期回报——健康、财富和幸福。
Here’s a confession: I’m not a natural relationship builder. In fact, I am a bit introverted and socially anxious, particularly in large group settings like conferences, cocktail parties, and crowded events. And yet I’ve built a depth and breadth of connections that has brought me great joy and value over the years.
坦白说,我并不擅长建立人际关系。事实上,我有点内向,还有点社交焦虑,尤其是在大型聚会场合,比如会议、鸡尾酒会和人多的活动。然而,多年来,我却建立起了深厚而广泛的人脉,这给我带来了巨大的快乐和价值。
Whether you’re moving to a new area, starting a new job, progressing in your current career, going to a professional event, or just want to make new friends, this guide will help.
无论你是搬到新地区、开始新工作、在现有职业生涯中取得进步、参加专业活动,还是只是想结交新朋友,本指南都将对你有所帮助。
Here are four core anti-networking principles that anyone can use:
以下是任何人都可以使用的四条核心反人际交往原则:
The best advice I’ve ever received when it comes to building new relationships: Put yourself into rooms with a high density of value-aligned individuals.
在建立新的人际关系方面,我收到的最好的建议是:让自己置身于与你价值观相符的人密集的环境中。
What this means: Think about your core values, hobbies, and professional and personal interests, then consider what “rooms” are likely to filter for people with a similar set of values and interests. An example: If you’re a dog owner and love being outside, local dog parks, outdoor beer gardens, or walking trails would likely have a high density of others with similar interests.
这意味着:想想你的核心价值观、爱好、职业和个人兴趣,然后思考哪些“场所”更容易聚集拥有相似价值观和兴趣的人。例如:如果你养狗并且喜欢户外活动,那么当地的遛狗公园、户外啤酒花园或步行道很可能聚集很多和你有相似兴趣的人。
The point here is that you can increase your odds of meeting people with whom you will connect by putting yourself in the rooms where several levels of filtering have already occurred before you even arrive.
关键在于,你可以通过让自己置身于那些在你到达之前就已经经过多层筛选的环境中,来增加遇到能与你建立联系的人的机会。
If you’re passionate about fitness and health, frequent the local farmers’ market, the gym in the early morning, and local hiking trails.
如果你热爱健身和健康,那就经常去当地的农贸市场、清晨去健身房以及当地的远足小径逛逛。
If you’re focused on your career in marketing, look up any local marketing mixers or events and attend any social media or creator conferences.
如果你专注于市场营销方面的职业发展,可以查找当地的市场营销交流会或活动,并参加任何社交媒体或内容创作者大会。
If you’re into books and art, find a local book club, go to art-gallery openings, and join the local museum community.
如果你喜欢书籍和艺术,可以加入当地的读书俱乐部,参加艺术画廊的开幕式,并加入当地的博物馆社群。
In professional tracks, the rooms are usually easier to find, as your business or company will have specific conferences, events, parties, and dinners you’ll be encouraged to attend. In your personal life, you will need to do a bit more work to find these rooms.
在职业场合,通常比较容易找到合适的房间,因为你的公司或企业会举办各种会议、活动、派对和晚宴,鼓励你参加。但在个人生活中,你需要花更多心思去寻找这些房间。
Place yourself in the right rooms and you’ll already be well positioned to build new relationships.
只要你出现在合适的场合,你就已经处于建立新关系的有利位置。
Once you’re in the rooms, strike up conversations with new people. A warm hello and a smile is generally a great place to start, as it tends to be disarming and cut the tension in any situation.
进入房间后,主动与陌生人攀谈。一句热情的问候和一个微笑通常是很好的开场白,因为它能消除隔阂,缓解任何情况下的紧张气氛。
From there, I have a few go-to questions that I have found create reliably engaging discourse:
基于此,我总结出几个屡试不爽的问题,这些问题总能引发引人入胜的讨论:
What’s your connection to [insert current place or event]?
你与[插入当前地点或事件]有什么联系?
What are you most excited about currently?
你目前最兴奋的是什么?
What’s lighting you up outside of work?
工作之余,什么事情让你感到兴奋?
What’s your favorite book you’ve read recently?
最近读过的最喜欢的书是什么?
Note: Always avoid “What do you do?” as a question. It’s generic and generally gets you a cookie-cutter, automated response or an uncomfortable one if people don’t feel proud of their work. “What are you most excited about right now?” leads to more personal, interesting replies and increased conversational momentum.
注意:尽量避免问“你是做什么的?”这个问题。它过于笼统,通常只会得到千篇一律的自动回复,或者如果对方对自己的工作不满意,回答起来会让人感到不舒服。“你现在最兴奋的是什么?”这个问题则能得到更个性化、更有趣的回答,也能让对话更有进展。
If you’re socially anxious, much of your nervousness in these situations arises from a self-induced pressure to be “interesting” to other people. Flip it around—focus on being interested. Ask engaging questions. It’s much easier (and more effective).
如果你有社交焦虑,那么在这些场合你的紧张感很大程度上源于你给自己施加的压力,想要让别人觉得你“有趣”。不妨换个角度思考——专注于对别人感兴趣。问一些引人入胜的问题。这样做更容易(也更有效)。
There is a concept that there are three levels of listening:
有一种观点认为,聆听有三个层次:
Level 1. “Me” listening: You’re having a conversation, but your internal voice is relating everything you hear to something in your own life. Your internal voice runs off on tangents; you’re thinking about your own life while the other person is talking. You’re waiting to speak, not listening to learn. This is the default mode of listening for everyone.
第一级:“我”式聆听:你正在与人交谈,但你的内心却在将听到的一切都与自己生活中的事情联系起来。你的内心思绪开始跑偏;当对方说话时,你却在想着自己的生活。你只想着自己发言,而不是认真聆听学习。这是每个人默认的聆听模式。
Level 2. “You” listening: You’re having a conversation, and you are deeply focused on what the other person is saying. You’re not waiting to speak; you’re listening to learn.
第二级。“你”式倾听:你正在与人交谈,并且全神贯注于对方所说的话。你不是在等待自己发言;你是在倾听学习。
Level 3. “Us” listening: You’re building a map of the other person, understanding how all the new information being shared fits into that broader map of the person’s life and world. You’re listening to understand, considering the layers beneath what the other person is saying.
第三层级:“我们”式聆听:你正在构建对方的认知地图,理解对方分享的所有新信息如何融入到他/她更广阔的生活和世界图景中。你聆听是为了理解,思考对方话语背后的深层含义。
Most people default to Level 1 listening, but charismatic people have a practiced intention around Level 2 and Level 3 listening. If you want to build new, genuine relationships, you have to live in Level 2 and Level 3.
大多数人习惯于第一层级的倾听,但魅力四射的人会刻意练习第二层级和第三层级的倾听。如果你想建立真诚的新关系,就必须运用第二层级和第三层级的倾听技巧。
Be a loud listener. After you ask questions, lean in and show your focus and presence with body language, facial expressions, and sounds.
认真倾听。提问之后,身体前倾,用肢体语言、面部表情和声音展现你的专注和存在感。
As you listen, make mental notes of a few pertinent facts about the person’s interests or anything else that jumps out to you. These will become relevant alongside Principle 4.
在倾听的过程中,记下一些与对方兴趣相关的要点,或者任何让你印象深刻的信息。这些信息将与原则四结合起来使用。
When a conversation has run its course, don’t feel pressured to keep it going. Exit gracefully. I’ve always found “ It was so great meeting you, I look forward to seeing you again soon!” works well in any personal or professional setting. If it makes sense, you can offer to share contact information for the future.
当谈话结束时,不要勉强自己继续下去。优雅地结束对话。我发现“很高兴认识你,期待很快能再次见到你!”这句话在任何场合,无论是私人还是工作场合,都非常有效。如果合适,你可以主动提出留下联系方式,以便日后联系。
Following the conversation, log the mental notes you made in your phone or a notebook and create a plan to follow up in the days ahead.
谈话结束后,将你记下的要点记录在手机或笔记本上,并制定一个计划,以便在接下来的几天里跟进。
As an example, I used to talk about my favorite books with new people. If I was speaking to a new professional contact and it struck me as a relationship I hoped to deepen, I would send a copy of the book with a handwritten note to the person’s office. I’ve built many great mentor relationships with that as the start.
举个例子,我以前会和新认识的人聊聊我最喜欢的书。如果我和一位新的职业伙伴交谈,并且觉得我们之间可以发展出更深入的关系,我就会寄一本书到对方的办公室,并附上一张手写的便条。我就是这样建立起了很多很好的师徒关系。
A few ideas for thoughtful, creative follow-ups:
以下是一些深思熟虑、富有创意的后续建议:
Share an article or podcast that you think the person will like for a specific reason.
分享一篇你认为对方会喜欢的文章或播客,原因很简单。
Provide value in the form of a new idea related to one of the points of professional tension that was uncovered in the conversation.
针对谈话中发现的某个专业矛盾点,提出一个新想法,以此提供价值。
Offer to connect the person with a friend who has a shared interest.
主动提出将对方介绍给一位有共同兴趣的朋友。
The aim is to show that you were listening intently and that you took the initiative to follow up. Playing hard to get is childish. Invest energy in building new, genuine relationships and you will be rewarded.
这样做的目的是为了表明你认真倾听,并且主动跟进。欲擒故纵是幼稚的行为。花精力建立真诚的新关系,你会得到回报。
Note: If you and the other person didn’t share contact information, you may need to use a bit of research and finesse to get a physical office address or an email address. For instance, if you didn’t get an email address at the event, guess it:
注意:如果您和对方没有交换联系方式,您可能需要花些功夫和技巧才能获得对方的办公地址或电子邮件地址。例如,如果您在活动中没有获得对方的电子邮件地址,猜猜看:
[first name] @ [company] . com
[名字]@[公司].com
[first initial] [last name] @ [company] . com
[名字首字母] [姓氏] @ [公司].com
[first name] . [last name] @ [company] . com
[名字].[姓氏]@[公司].com
[last name] @ [company] . com
[姓氏]@[公司].com
Email address data shows those syntax structures cover over 80 percent of emails. A little bit of hustle goes a long way!
电子邮件地址数据显示,这些语法结构涵盖了超过 80% 的电子邮件。一点点努力就能带来很大的回报!
Remember: Relationship satisfaction affects health! Relationships are, quite literally, everything. So stop networking. Use these four principles of anti-networking and start building genuine relationships—they will pay dividends in all areas of your life for many years to come.
记住:人际关系满意度影响健康!人际关系,毫不夸张地说,就是一切。所以,停止建立人脉关系吧。运用这四条反人脉原则,开始建立真正的人际关系——它们将在未来的许多年里,为你生活的各个方面带来丰厚的回报。
Pixar Animation Studios is widely regarded as one of the most creative studios of all time; its films have earned over twenty Academy Awards and countless other recognitions. Throughout its thirty-plus-year history, the studio has created and fostered beloved films, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, Monsters, Inc., The Incredibles, Wall-E, Coco, Inside Out, and more. If you are a parent or if you grew up in the 1990s or 2000s, odds are that you’ve fallen in love with a Pixar storyline and character.
皮克斯动画工作室被公认为史上最具创意的动画工作室之一;其影片荣获超过二十项奥斯卡金像奖以及无数其他奖项。在其三十余年的发展历程中,皮克斯创作并打造了众多深受喜爱的影片,包括《玩具总动员》、《海底总动员》、《虫虫特工队》、《怪兽公司》、《超人总动员》、《机器人总动员》、《寻梦环游记》、《头脑特工队》等等。如果您是一位家长,或者您成长于上世纪九十年代或本世纪初,那么您很可能已经爱上了皮克斯的某个故事和角色。
But this kind of prolific creative output doesn’t happen by chance. As Pixar cofounder Ed Catmull revealed in his bestselling book Creativity, Inc., systems and processes were deliberately put in place to ensure the absolute highest quality and consistency of the product across the decades. [20]
但这种高产的创意并非偶然。正如皮克斯联合创始人艾德·卡特穆尔在其畅销书《创意公司》中所揭示的那样,为了确保产品在数十年间保持绝对最高的质量和一致性,皮克斯特意建立了相应的系统和流程。[20]
One such system—referred to at Pixar as the Braintrust—is particularly relevant as a model that can be applied to our own lives.
皮克斯称之为“智囊团”的这套系统,尤其具有现实意义,可以作为我们自身生活的借鉴模型。
Pixar’s Braintrust is a group of individuals who meet every few months to discuss in-process movies. The group includes the primary directors of the movies being discussed as well as a collection of others who are not directly involved in the films but who are part of the company and have a vested interest in their success. As Catmull explained, “Our decision making is better when we draw on the collective knowledge and unvarnished opinions of the group…we rely on [the Braintrust] to push us toward excellence and to root out mediocrity. It is our primary delivery system for straight talk.”
皮克斯的智囊团由一群人组成,他们每隔几个月聚会一次,讨论正在制作中的电影。成员包括正在讨论的电影的主要导演,以及其他一些虽然没有直接参与电影制作,但身处公司内部,并且与电影的成功息息相关的人员。正如卡特穆尔解释的那样:“当我们借鉴团队的集体智慧和坦诚意见时,我们的决策会更加明智……我们依靠智囊团来推动我们追求卓越,并剔除平庸。它是我们进行坦诚交流的主要渠道。”
We can apply the general model of a brain trust—a group of individuals with different perspectives and lenses asking questions and pressure-testing assumptions to improve the quality of the final product—to our own lives for our own personal and professional pursuits.
我们可以将智囊团的一般模式——一群拥有不同观点和视角的人提出问题并检验假设以提高最终产品的质量——应用到我们自己的生活中,用于我们自己的个人和职业追求。
Traditionally, people have turned to mentorship to navigate the uncharted waters they encounter at new stages in life. But the term mentorship feels very formal. It connotes a fixed cadence and time commitment. From the mentor’s perspective, it may feel like a big commitment, which dilutes the quality of the relationship, experience, and results. Furthermore, having one formal mentor often falls short of what someone needs. Your single mentor may not have encountered the challenge you’re facing—that person may not have a map that you can leverage to navigate the terrain.
传统上,人们会在人生新阶段寻求导师的指导,以应对遇到的未知挑战。但“导师制”这个词听起来过于正式,暗示着固定的节奏和时间投入。从导师的角度来看,这可能意味着巨大的责任,从而影响关系的质量、经验和最终成果。此外,仅仅拥有一位正式的导师往往无法满足人们的需求。你的导师可能没有经历过你正在面临的挑战——他/她可能没有你可以借鉴的经验来帮助你渡过难关。
Rather than finding a single mentor, you can leverage Pixar’s creation to form your own brain trust—a personal board of advisers for your life. Just as Pixar used this group to improve the quality of its creative decisions, you can use your brain trust to improve the quality of your personal and professional decisions.
与其寻找一位导师,不如借鉴皮克斯的模式,组建自己的智囊团——一个人生顾问委员会。正如皮克斯利用这个团队提升创意决策的质量一样,你也可以利用自己的智囊团来提升个人和职业决策的质量。
Your brain trust is a group of five to ten individuals.
你的智囊团是由五到十人组成的小组。
A few key features of the group:
该组织的一些主要特点:
Unbiased (ideally not family)
公正的(最好不是家人)
Diverse experiences, perspectives, lenses
多元化的经验、视角和观点
Willing to provide candid, raw feedback
愿意提供坦诚、真实的反馈
Vested interest in your success (that is, they want to see you win)
他们与你的成功有着切身利益(也就是说,他们希望看到你赢)。
As you construct your brain trust, it may be helpful to think about each member as fitting a particular archetype:
在组建智囊团时,不妨将每位成员视为符合某种特定原型:
Senior executive (navigating hierarchies and senior ranks)
高级管理人员(擅长应对层级结构和高层职位)
Inspirational leader (leadership principles and people management)
鼓舞人心的领导者(领导原则和人员管理)
Intellectual sparring partner (very willing to pressure-test your thinking)
智力上的切磋伙伴(非常乐意检验你的思维能力)
Contrarian thinker (willing to play devil’s advocate)
逆向思维者(愿意扮演反方角色)
Connector (deep relationships and network)
连接者(深厚的人际关系和网络)
Peer (at a similar personal or professional stage)
同龄人(处于相似个人或职业阶段的人)
It’s not about the most impressive-sounding brain trust. You want people who are genuinely interested in seeing you succeed. Over time, you can add and subtract from your group—add the new and deep relationships, subtract the people whose value has diminished as you or they have changed or progressed.
关键不在于拥有一个听起来最厉害的智囊团。你需要的是那些真心希望你成功的人。随着时间的推移,你可以对你的团队进行增减——吸纳那些建立起深厚新关系的人,剔除那些随着你或他们自身变化或进步而价值降低的人。
Unlike Pixar, you won’t need to host formal meetings of your brain trust (this avoids the formality challenge of mentorship in general), so the members don’t need to know one another or that they are part of your brain trust. As you encounter challenges, key decisions, or inflection points in your personal and professional life, you can reliably turn to the members of your brain trust for grounded perspectives, candor, feedback, and advice.
与皮克斯不同,你无需召开正式的智囊团会议(这避免了导师制中普遍存在的正式性问题),因此成员之间无需彼此认识,也无需知道他们是智囊团成员。当你在个人和职业生涯中遇到挑战、关键决策或转折点时,你可以随时向智囊团成员寻求切实可行的观点、坦诚的意见、反馈和建议。
Our time and energy are finite, so the fact that these people are using a portion of their time to support you is no small thing. Always let them know they are appreciated. Buy them books. Send them handwritten thank-you notes for spending time with you. Tiny gestures of gratitude go a long way.
我们的时间和精力都是有限的,所以这些人抽出时间来支持你,意义非凡。一定要让他们知道你很感激他们。送他们书,给他们写手写的感谢信,感谢他们抽出时间陪伴你。小小的感恩之举,往往能带来巨大的温暖。
Confession: I used to be a nervous public speaker.
坦白说:我以前是个很紧张的公众演讲者。
I know I’m not alone—in fact, several surveys have found that people rank public speaking ahead of death on a list of their greatest fears. But confident public speaking is a critical skill for many people’s careers and lives; it expands potential relationship circles and builds authority and expertise that are markers of earned status. It has the potential to accelerate personal and professional endeavors meaningfully. You can’t just hide from it—you need a set of strategies to increase your confidence and perform as the best version of yourself.
我知道我并非孤例——事实上,多项调查显示,在人们最恐惧的事情清单中,公开演讲甚至超过了死亡。但自信的公开演讲对许多人的职业生涯和生活至关重要;它能拓展人脉,建立权威和专业知识,而这些都是社会地位的标志。它能够显著加速个人和职业发展。你不能逃避它——你需要一套策略来增强自信,展现出最好的自己。
Here are the strategies I’ve used to build a powerful public-speaking muscle—strategies you can start using immediately.
以下是我用来培养强大公众演讲能力的策略——你可以立即开始使用这些策略。
The best public speakers don’t deliver a speech—they tell a story. They take the audience on a journey. Create a clear structure that is familiar and easy to follow. It’s helpful to be clear and explicit about that structure up front, whether in the presentation materials or in your early delivery.
优秀的演讲者并非发表演讲,而是讲述故事。他们带领听众踏上一段旅程。要构建一个清晰、熟悉且易于理解的结构。无论是在演示材料中还是在演讲初期,明确阐述这一结构都至关重要。
When you’re nervous about a speech, toast, presentation, or talk, your natural bias is to memorize the content word for word. The memorization is intended to serve as a protective wall that shields you from your fears. You can recite something and semi-disassociate from the act itself.
当你对演讲、祝酒词、报告或谈话感到紧张时,你的自然反应是逐字逐句地背诵内容。这种背诵旨在为你筑起一道保护墙,让你免受恐惧的侵袭。你可以背诵一些内容,同时又在某种程度上与演讲本身脱离。
Unfortunately, I have found (and observed) that memorization often has the opposite effect.
不幸的是,我发现(并观察到)死记硬背往往会产生相反的效果。
When you memorize material, one tiny slip-up can throw you off. You know the material only in one fixed linear trajectory, so you’re unable to adapt. All it takes is one glitch in the slides, an off-track question from the audience, or a slight stumble in your opener, and your preparation goes out the window.
当你死记硬背材料时,哪怕一个小小的失误都可能让你功亏一篑。你对材料的理解仅限于一条固定的线性路径,因此无法灵活调整。幻灯片上哪怕出现一个小小的故障、观众提出的一个离题问题,或者你开场白中出现的一个小小失误,都可能让你之前的准备付诸东流。
My recommendations:
我的建议:
Build Lego blocks by practicing the key moments, such as the opening, transitions, and punch lines. Perfect these Lego blocks.
通过练习关键环节,例如开头、过渡和结尾,来搭建乐高积木。精益求精,完善这些乐高积木。
Practice the speech in segments rather than sequentially. This may seem counterintuitive, but it will make you more dynamic if things don’t go perfectly according to plan.
练习演讲时,不要按顺序练习,而是分段练习。这听起来可能有点违反直觉,但如果事情没有完全按照计划进行,这样做能让你更加灵活应对。
One other weird trick for a big speech: Practice once while briskly walking or lightly jogging. I have found that it effectively simulates the heart rate increase you might experience when you take the stage.
还有一个应对重要演讲的奇特技巧:练习时可以快走或慢跑。我发现这能有效模拟你上台演讲时心率加快的情况。
If you want to improve at anything, study the best practitioners of it. We live in an incredible era with access to the best speaking coaches in the world at the click of a button. Identify three to five speakers you admire. They can be politicians, business leaders, comedians, motivational coaches, whatever. Go on YouTube and find videos of each one delivering a speech. Slow down the playback speed and take notes.
如果你想在任何方面有所进步,那就向该领域最优秀的人学习。我们生活在一个令人难以置信的时代,只需点击一下鼠标,就能接触到世界上最优秀的演讲教练。找到三到五位你欣赏的演讲者。他们可以是政治家、商业领袖、喜剧演员、励志教练等等。在YouTube上找到他们每个人的演讲视频。放慢播放速度,并做好笔记。
Pay attention to the following:
请注意以下事项:
How are they structuring their talks?
他们是如何安排会谈的?
What is the pacing of their words? When are they pausing and when are they accelerating?
他们的语速如何?什么时候停顿,什么时候加快语速?
When are they raising their voices? When are they lowering them?
他们什么时候提高音量?什么时候降低音量?
Note their movements on the stage. How are they gesturing?
注意他们在舞台上的动作。他们的手势是怎样的?
How are they engaging with the audience?
他们是如何与观众互动的?
By studying the best, we naturally move to embody the traits we’ve identified.
通过学习最优秀的人,我们自然而然地会培养出我们所发现的那些特质。
The spotlight effect is a common psychological phenomenon in which people overestimate the degree to which other people are noticing or observing their actions, behaviors, appearance, or results. Public speaking is one of the moments when the spotlight effect is most pronounced (and potentially crippling).
聚光灯效应是一种常见的心理现象,指的是人们高估他人对自己行为、举止、外表或结果的关注程度。公开演讲是聚光灯效应最为显著(也可能最具破坏性)的时刻之一。
To dim the spotlight, try the “So what?” approach:
为了让关注度降低,不妨试试“那又怎样?”的方法:
Confront your worst fears about what could go wrong.
直面你最害怕的可能出错的事情。
Imagine the worst fear becoming reality. Now ask yourself, “So what?” So what if you forget your remarks or you don’t deliver them perfectly? You’ll stumble through, but it won’t kill you. Your family will still love you when you get home and life will move on.
想象一下你最害怕的事情变成了现实。现在问问自己,“那又怎样?”就算你忘了要说什么,或者没能完美地表达出来又怎样?你会磕磕绊绊地应付过去,但这不会要了你的命。当你回到家,家人依然会爱你,生活也会继续。
Usually the answer to “So what?” isn’t nearly as bad as we think. As Seneca famously wrote, “We suffer more in imagination than in reality.”
通常,“那又怎样?”的答案远没有我们想象的那么糟糕。正如塞内卡的名言所说:“我们在想象中比在现实中承受的痛苦更多。”
Character invention is a technique in which you create a character that can show up and perform in situations that induce in you fear or self-doubt.
角色创造是一种技巧,通过这种技巧,你可以创造一个角色,让他/她出现在那些让你感到恐惧或自我怀疑的情境中并发挥作用。
The general strategy: Create a character in your mind who can nail the speech, then “flip the switch” to become this character before stepping into the spotlight.
总体策略是:在脑海中塑造一个能够完美演绎演讲的角色,然后在登台亮相之前“切换模式”变成这个角色。
Envision the public-speaking character that you would like to embody:
想象一下你希望自己成为怎样的公众演讲者:
What traits do they possess?
他们具备哪些特质?
How do they interact with their surroundings?
它们如何与周围环境互动?
How do they physically appear to others?
他们外表看起来如何?
What is their mentality?
他们的心态是什么?
Turn on your character and take on the moment with new energy as the best version of yourself.
展现你的个性,以全新的活力迎接当下,成为最好的自己。
The physiological sigh is a remarkably effective, science-backed technique to quickly eliminate stress.
生理性叹息是一种非常有效、有科学依据的快速消除压力的方法。
It’s a breath pattern marked by a long inhale, a short inhale, and a long exhale. People do it naturally when levels of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream get too high. It creates a relaxing sensation by releasing a lot of carbon dioxide very fast.
这是一种以长吸气、短吸气和长呼气为特征的呼吸模式。当血液中二氧化碳含量过高时,人们会自然而然地采用这种呼吸方式。它通过快速释放大量二氧化碳来产生放松感。
If you feel your nerves rising before the event, try it:
如果你在活动开始前感到紧张,可以试试这个方法:
Inhale through your nose twice, once slowly, then once quickly.
用鼻子吸气两次,一次慢吸,一次快吸。
Long exhale through your mouth.
通过嘴巴慢慢呼气。
Repeat two to three times.
重复两到三次。
Immediate positive impact.
立即产生积极影响。
A few minutes before I gave a keynote speech in June 2023, the organizers asked me what song I wanted to enter to. They probably assumed I’d pick some upbeat pump-up music. I told them “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys. They thought I was joking, but I was dead serious. Why? Doing something unexpected and funny early in a talk immediately cuts the anxiety and tension in the room. When I entered to that song, I had a built-in joke!
2023年6月,在我发表主题演讲前几分钟,主办方问我想用什么歌作为开场曲。他们大概以为我会选一首节奏欢快、振奋人心的歌。我告诉他们,是艾丽西亚·凯斯的《烈火女孩》(Girl on Fire)。他们以为我在开玩笑,但我可不是开玩笑。为什么呢?因为在演讲开始不久就做一些出人意料又有趣的事情,能立刻缓解现场的紧张气氛。当我用这首歌出场时,我就自带了一个笑点!
“You’re probably wondering why I just entered to ‘Girl on Fire’…well, it’s my one-year-old son’s favorite song, and I figured he’d be more excited to watch the replay if his dad entered to his favorite jam.”
“你可能想知道我为什么选择用《烈火少女》这首歌参赛……嗯,这是我一岁儿子最喜欢的歌,我想如果他爸爸用他最喜欢的歌曲参赛,他看重播的时候会更兴奋。”
My anxiety disappeared when I saw the smiling and laughing faces in the crowd.
看到人群中人们的笑脸,我的焦虑就消失了。
Lesson: Find a simple way to cut the tension early and get people on your side.
教训:找到一种简单的方法,尽早缓解紧张局势,赢得人们的支持。
You may remember playing a childhood game where parts of the floor are lava that you can’t touch. During a speech, I try to play a similar game. I think of my pockets and torso as lava—I can’t touch them.
你可能还记得小时候玩过的一个游戏,游戏里地板的某些部分是岩浆,你不能碰。在演讲的时候,我也会尝试玩类似的游戏。我把自己的口袋和躯干想象成岩浆——我不能碰它们。
This simple framing forces you to get your arms away from your body, gesture broadly, and express confidence.
这种简单的构图迫使你将手臂远离身体,做出幅度较大的手势,并表达自信。
Pro tip: Use big, bold, body-opening gestures early in the talk. I have found that doing so builds confidence and momentum (consider this my hat tip to Amy Cuddy’s much-debated power-pose research).
专业提示:在演讲初期使用幅度大、动作幅度大、舒展身体的手势。我发现这样做可以建立自信,增强演讲的势头(这可以看作是对艾米·卡迪备受争议的“权力姿势”研究的致敬)。
Pacing around like you’re on the phone with your childhood crush isn’t helpful. It just makes you more nervous.
像跟儿时暗恋对象打电话一样来回踱步并没有什么帮助,只会让你更加紧张。
Take slow, methodical, purposeful steps. Move with gravitas. Use your movements to add dramatic pauses to your words as you navigate the room.
迈出缓慢、有条不紊、目标明确的步伐。举止要沉稳。在房间里走动时,利用你的动作来为你的话语增添戏剧性的停顿。
There are people who move to move, and then there are people who move with intention, who are going places. Always be the latter.
有些人搬家只是为了搬家,而有些人搬家是有目的的,他们的目标是实现自己的目标。永远要做后者。
These nine strategies will work wonders for your public speaking:
以下九种策略将对你的公开演讲能力产生奇效:
Study the Best: Use YouTube to study speakers you admire.
向最优秀的人学习:利用 YouTube 学习你欣赏的演讲者。
Create Clear Structure: Be deliberate about the storytelling arc.
构建清晰的结构:精心设计故事的叙事弧线。
Build Your Lego Blocks: Relentlessly practice the opening, transitions, and key lines, but avoid rote memorization.
搭建你的乐高积木:不断练习开头、过渡和关键台词,但要避免死记硬背。
Address the Spotlight: Ask “So what?” about your worst fears and stop suffering in your imagination.
正视问题:问问自己“那又怎样?”,不要再在想象中受苦。
Get into Character: Turn your ideal character on prior to the start.
进入角色:在游戏开始前,先进入你理想中的角色状态。
Eliminate Stress: Use the physiological sigh to eliminate stress.
消除压力:利用生理性叹息来消除压力。
Cut the Tension: Find a way to cut the tension early with a joke or self-deprecating remark to get the audience on your side.
缓解紧张气氛:想办法通过开玩笑或自嘲来尽早缓解紧张气氛,从而赢得观众的支持。
Play the Lava Game: Use big, confident gestures and avoid touching your pockets or torso.
玩“熔岩游戏”:做出自信的大幅度动作,避免触摸口袋或躯干。
Move Purposefully: Take slow, methodical, purposeful steps.
行动要有条不紊:采取缓慢、有条不紊、有目的的步伐。
Public speaking is a muscle that we can all work to build. By leveraging these strategies, you’ll be well on your way.
公开演讲能力是可以锻炼的,每个人都可以努力提升。运用这些策略,你就能事半功倍。
Denis Diderot was an eighteenth-century philosopher and writer who had a reputation as a deep thinker in intellectual circles. His work did not lead to any level of financial riches, a fact that did not seem to trouble Diderot, but when he was unable to provide a dowry for his daughter, his lack of financial means was thrust to the forefront of his mind. Fortunately, his work had won him many fans, including Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia; hearing of his financial struggle, she offered to buy his library and retain his services as her personal librarian, for which she would pay him handsomely.
德尼·狄德罗是十八世纪的哲学家和作家,在知识界以其深刻的思想而闻名。他的事业并未给他带来多少财富,而狄德罗似乎对此并不在意。然而,当他无力为女儿准备嫁妆时,经济拮据的问题便凸显出来。幸运的是,他的作品为他赢得了众多拥趸,其中包括俄罗斯女皇叶卡捷琳娜二世。得知他的经济困境后,叶卡捷琳娜大帝提出购买他的藏书,并聘请他担任自己的私人图书管理员,为此她将支付丰厚的报酬。
Shortly after this good financial fortune, Denis Diderot came to own a fancy new scarlet robe. Diderot liked the status that the fancy robe conferred on him but felt the remainder of his possessions could not compare to the beauty and prestige of this new one.
获得这笔意外之财后不久,德尼·狄德罗就拥有了一件华丽的新猩红色长袍。狄德罗很喜欢这件华丽长袍带给他的地位,但他觉得他其他的财产都无法与这件新长袍的美丽和尊贵相提并论。
How could he be expected to dress in such a robe but sit in such a shabby chair, walk in such tattered shoes, or write at such a spartan desk? In quick succession, he purchased a new leather chair, new shoes, and an elaborate wooden desk, all of which seemed a suitable match for his scarlet robe—or, perhaps more important, a suitable match for the type of person who wore such a fancy scarlet robe.
他怎能穿着如此华丽的长袍,却坐在如此破旧的椅子上,穿着如此破烂的鞋子,在如此简陋的桌子上写作呢?他很快便购置了一把新的皮椅、一双新鞋和一张精致的木桌,所有这些都与他的猩红色长袍相得益彰——或者,更重要的是,与穿着如此华丽猩红色长袍的人的形象相得益彰。
The new robe had created a new identity, one that Denis Diderot became attached to and that he wanted to continue signaling to the world. In an essay later in life, which he titled, appropriately, “Regrets for My Old Dressing Gown,” Diderot lamented, “I was the absolute master of my old robe. I have become the slave of the new one.”
这件新长袍塑造了一种新的身份,狄德罗对这种身份十分依恋,并希望继续向世人展现这种身份。在他晚年的一篇文章中,狄德罗恰如其分地以《对旧睡袍的遗憾》为题,哀叹道:“我曾是旧长袍的绝对主人,如今却成了新长袍的奴隶。”
Denis Diderot had fallen victim to the perils of bought status—the slow, creeping thirst for more, for the next thing that would confer upon him a level of external affirmation.
德尼·狄德罗已经沦为金钱买来的地位的受害者——一种缓慢而隐隐作痛的渴望,渴望获得更多,渴望获得某种外部的肯定。
Identifying and avoiding these bought-status games and playing earned-status games instead is important for building a life of Social Wealth.
识别并避免这些用金钱购买地位的游戏,转而参与用努力赢得地位的游戏,对于建立社会财富的生活至关重要。
Here are two simple tests you can use to assess the games you are playing:
以下两个简单的测试可以用来评估你正在玩的游戏:
Would I buy this thing if I could not show it to anyone or tell anyone about it?
如果我不能向任何人展示或告诉任何人关于这个东西的事,我会买它吗?
Bought status is the fleeting improved social position garnered through acquired status symbols. Asking this question cuts through the noise to determine if the item itself provides happiness or utility or if its sole purpose is to signal your success or achievement to others.
购买地位指的是通过获取身份象征物而获得的短暂的社会地位提升。提出这个问题有助于拨开迷雾,判断物品本身是否能带来幸福或实用价值,还是其唯一目的仅仅是为了向他人炫耀你的成功或成就。
For example:
例如:
Are you buying the fancy watch because you love the intricacies of watch engineering and details or because you want people to see that you have a fancy watch?
你买名表是因为你喜欢手表工程的精妙之处和细节,还是因为你想让别人看到你拥有一块名表?
Are you buying the fast car because you are obsessed with cars and dream about driving on mountain roads on your days off or because you want people to see you in the car and think you’ve made it?
你买跑车是因为你痴迷于汽车,梦想着在休息日驰骋于山路,还是因为你想让别人看到你开着这辆车,觉得你功成名就?
Are you paying for the table at the charity event because you believe in the mission of the charity and would donate the money anonymously or because you want to be seen at the event as someone who purchased a full table?
您是因为认同该慈善机构的使命并愿意匿名捐款而支付慈善活动餐桌的费用,还是因为您想在活动中被视为购买了整桌餐券的人而支付餐券费用?
It is unlikely that you will ever eliminate bought-status games from your life, but asking these questions about your underlying motivations for a given purchase will create new awareness and encourage you to focus your time and energy on earned-status games instead.
你不太可能从生活中彻底消除购买地位型游戏,但询问你购买某项游戏背后的动机,将有助于你建立新的意识,并鼓励你将时间和精力集中在赢得地位型游戏上。
Could the richest person in the world acquire the thing I want by tomorrow?
世界首富明天能得到我想要的东西吗?
Earned status is the great equalizer. It is the real respect, admiration, and trust received through hard-won treasures:
实至名归的地位才是真正的平等器。它是通过辛勤努力赢得的财富而获得的真正尊重、钦佩和信任:
Free time
空闲时间
Loving relationships
恋爱关系
Purposeful work, expertise, and wisdom
有目的的工作、专业知识和智慧
Healthy mind and body
身心健康
Hard-won financial success
来之不易的财务成功
The richest people in the world cannot acquire these things in a day. If you don’t make a clear effort to create the space and prioritize effectively, each of these markers will prove elusive. The world’s richest people cannot build a loving relationship any faster than you. They cannot forge a healthy mind and body any faster than you. None of them can buy their way to expertise, wisdom, or purpose. Money may improve the odds of acquiring some of them—free time, for instance—but the effort is unavoidable. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”
世界上最富有的人也无法在一天之内获得这些东西。如果你不努力创造空间并有效地安排优先事项,那么这些目标都将遥不可及。世界上最富有的人建立一段美好的关系的速度不会比你快。他们打造健康的体魄和精神状态的速度也不会比你快。他们也无法用金钱买到专业知识、智慧或人生目标。金钱或许能提高获得某些东西的几率——比如自由时间——但努力是不可避免的。正如谚语所说,“罗马不是一天建成的”。
Entrepreneur Naval Ravikant once quipped, “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
企业家纳瓦尔·拉维坎特曾戏谑道:“玩愚蠢的游戏,赢得愚蠢的奖品。”
Denis Diderot played a stupid game and won a stupid prize. Don’t fall into the same trap: Avoid bought-status games and focus on playing earned-status games, because the prizes are much more fulfilling.
狄德罗玩了一个愚蠢的游戏,赢得了一个愚蠢的奖品。不要重蹈覆辙:避免玩那些靠金钱获得地位的游戏,而应该专注于玩那些需要努力赢得地位的游戏,因为后者的奖品更有意义。
The Big Question: Who will be sitting in the front row at your funeral?
最重要的问题:谁会坐在你葬礼的前排?
Depth: Connection to a small circle of people with deep, meaningful bonds
深度:与一小群人建立深厚而有意义的联系。
Breadth: Connection to a larger circle of people for support and belonging beyond the self, either through individual relationships or through community, religious, spiritual, or cultural infrastructure
广度:与更广泛的人群建立联系,获得超越自我的支持和归属感,这种联系既可以通过个人关系建立,也可以通过社区、宗教、精神或文化基础设施建立。
Earned status: The lasting respect, admiration, and trust of your peers that you receive on the basis of earned, not acquired, status symbols
赢得的地位:指你基于自身赢得而非后天习得的地位象征而获得的,来自同辈的持久尊重、钦佩和信任。
The Social Wealth Score: For each statement below, respond with 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (disagree), 2 (neutral), 3 (agree), or 4 (strongly agree).
社会财富评分:对于以下每一项陈述,请回答 0(非常不同意)、1(不同意)、2(中立)、3(同意)或 4(非常同意)。
I have a core set of deep, loving, supportive relationships.
我拥有一系列深厚、充满爱和支持的核心人际关系。
I am consistently able to be the partner, parent, family member, and friend that I would want to have.
我始终能够成为自己想要拥有的伴侣、父母、家人和朋友。
I have a network of loose relationships I can learn from and build on.
我拥有一个松散的人脉网络,我可以从中学习并在此基础上发展。
I have a deep feeling of connection to a community (local, regional, national, spiritual, and so on) or to something bigger than myself.
我与某个社群(地方、区域、国家、精神等等)或比我自身更伟大的事物有着深厚的联系感。
I do not attempt to achieve status, respect, or admiration through material purchases.
我不会试图通过购买物质来获得地位、尊重或赞赏。
Your baseline score (0 to 20):
您的基线分数(0 至 20 分):
Use the goal-setting framework to calibrate your Social Wealth compass:
运用目标设定框架来校准你的社会财富指南针:
Goals: What Social Wealth Score do you want to achieve within one year? What are the two to three checkpoints that you will need to hit on your path to achieve this score?
目标:您希望在一年内达到怎样的社会财富评分?为了达到这个评分,您需要达成哪两到三个关键节点?
Anti-goals: What are the two to three outcomes that you want to avoid on your journey?
反目标:在你的旅程中,你希望避免哪两到三种结果?
High-leverage systems: What are the two to three systems from the Social Wealth Guide that you will implement to make tangible, compounding progress toward your goal score?
高杠杆系统:您将实施《社会财富指南》中的哪两到三个系统,以在实现目标分数方面取得切实、持续的进步?
Use the Relationship Map to develop an awareness of your current relationships and identify opportunities for depth and breadth.
使用关系图来了解你当前的人际关系,并找出深化和拓展人际关系的机会。
Start by listing all the core relationships that occupy your life. Assess each core relationship according to whether the relationship is supportive, ambivalent, or demeaning and the frequency of interaction in the relationship. Using this information, create a map of your core relationships on a two-by-two grid with Relationship Health on the x-axis (from demeaning to supportive) and Relationship Frequency on the y-axis (from rare to daily).
首先列出你生活中所有核心关系。评估每段核心关系,判断其是支持性、矛盾性还是贬低性,以及互动频率。利用这些信息,绘制一张以2x2为横坐标的表格,横坐标代表关系健康状况(从贬低到支持),纵坐标代表关系频率(从很少到每天),以此来表示你的核心关系。
Consider how you can prioritize the relationships in the green zone (healthy, frequent) and spend more time with the relationships in the opportunity zone (healthy, infrequent).
考虑如何优先考虑绿色区域(健康、频繁)中的人际关系,并花更多时间与机会区域(健康、不频繁)中的人际关系相处。
The ninety-year-old man sat down in the front row of the college lecture hall and took out his notebook.
这位九十岁的老人坐在大学阶梯教室的前排,拿出了他的笔记本。
When class started, he listened intently and jotted down notes on the big bang, the solar system, and the eventual fate of the sun. When class ended, he smiled, gathered his things, and walked out, almost blending in with the sea of eighteen-year-old Harvard College freshmen exiting the introductory astronomy class.
上课时,他认真听讲,并记下关于宇宙大爆炸、太阳系以及太阳最终命运的笔记。下课后,他面带微笑,收拾好东西,走了出去,几乎融入了走出天文入门课的十八岁哈佛大学新生人群中。
The man’s name was Hank Behar, and when people ask me what I want to be when I grow up, I tell them I want to be like Hank.
这个人名叫汉克·比哈尔,当人们问我长大后想成为什么样的人时,我会告诉他们我想成为像汉克那样的人。
Hank Behar lived in the same community as my parents when I was young. He is, in some ways, quite ordinary—he isn’t particularly rich, famous, or powerful—but the sum of his ordinary starts to look rather extraordinary. Hank spent most of his career as a Hollywood screenwriter and director and has a keen, clever wit to show for it. He’s been married for more than fifty years to the same woman, Phyllis, a glamorous former soap opera star whom he met on a set and, as he described it, somehow convinced to go on a date with him. Hank and Phyllis have three children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Hank has a sweet, loving personality that shines through, and he is always quick with a self-deprecating joke. He remains active despite his age, and he and Phyllis have been known to hop on a plane or take a cruise for a new adventure on a whim.
我小时候,汉克·贝哈尔和我父母住在同一个社区。从某些方面来说,他很普通——既不富有,也不出名,更谈不上权势——但他的平凡之处却成就了非凡的一面。汉克的大部分职业生涯都在好莱坞从事编剧和导演工作,并因此拥有敏锐机智的才华。他和妻子菲利斯结婚五十多年了,菲利斯是一位魅力四射的前肥皂剧明星,两人在片场相识,正如汉克所说,他不知怎么说服了她和他约会。汉克和菲利斯育有三个孩子、四个孙辈和两个重孙辈。汉克性格温和友善,总是妙语连珠,不时还会自嘲一番。尽管年事已高,他依然活力充沛,他和菲利斯也常常一时兴起就搭乘飞机或乘坐游轮,开启一段新的冒险之旅。
In 2014, Phyllis asked Hank what he wanted for his ninetieth birthday. Both of them were in good health, and she assumed he would ask for a nice vacation, weekend getaway, or perhaps just a special dinner.
2014年,菲利斯问汉克九十岁生日想要什么礼物。他们俩身体都很健康,她以为他会想要一次美好的假期、一个周末短途旅行,或者仅仅是一顿特别的晚餐。
His response surprised her:
他的反应令她感到意外:
“I’ve always wanted to see what those geniuses were up to at Harvard. I’d like to spend a day there.”
“我一直很想看看哈佛那些天才们都在研究些什么。我真想在那里待上一天。”
Never ones to be deterred by a challenge, they contacted my father, a longtime professor at the school. He and a handful of professors arranged for Hank to attend classes for a day—his birthday wish was in motion. A few weeks later, Hank woke up early, put on a nice pair of slacks, a shirt, and a sweater, and made the pilgrimage to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to spend the day at Harvard University.
他们从不畏惧挑战,于是联系了我的父亲,他是一位在该校任教多年的教授。他和几位教授安排汉克去哈佛大学旁听一天的课程——汉克的生日愿望正在逐步实现。几周后,汉克早早起床,穿上一条漂亮的西裤、一件衬衫和一件毛衣,前往马萨诸塞州剑桥市,在哈佛大学度过了一天。
So it was that this ninety-year-old man found himself in the front row of an introductory astronomy class among some of the world’s brightest eighteen-year-olds. He was a model student; he arrived early, took notes, and even asked questions when he didn’t understand something.
就这样,这位九十岁的老人发现自己坐在了一堂天文学入门课的前排,周围都是世界上最聪明的十八岁学生。他是个模范学生;他早早到场,认真记笔记,甚至在遇到不懂的地方还会提问。
The visual alone is enough to bring a smile to anyone’s face. But Hank’s day at Harvard is much more than just a heartwarming story. It carries a deeper set of insights and lessons with science-backed implications for how you can live a healthier, more fulfilling life well into your sunset years.
单凭画面就足以让人会心一笑。但汉克在哈佛的一天远不止是一个温馨的故事。它蕴含着更深层次的洞见和启示,并以科学为依据,指导我们如何在晚年拥有更健康、更充实的人生。
Curiosity is the foundation of a life of Mental Wealth.
好奇心是精神财富的基石。
It is also part of your manufacturer’s default setting: You are literally born with it. If you have children or have spent time around children you’ve seen firsthand what true, uninhibited curiosity looks like. Children pursue everything with a wide-eyed, completely unfiltered awe. The newness sparks a wonder about the world that seems impossible to contain. Curiosity is how you learn about the world and how you stay alive.
好奇心也是你与生俱来的本能:你生来就拥有它。如果你有孩子,或者曾经和孩子们相处过,你一定亲眼见过真正无拘无束的好奇心是什么样子。孩子们睁大眼睛,带着纯粹的敬畏之心去探索一切。新鲜事物激发了他们对世界的无限好奇,这种好奇心似乎无法抑制。好奇心是你了解世界的方式,也是你生存的根本。
The science supports this idea. Curiosity, it turns out, is very, very good for you. It is the real Fountain of Youth.
科学研究也支持这一观点。事实证明,好奇心对人非常有益。它才是真正的青春之泉。
A 2018 study found that the brain systems that are engaged by curiosity contribute to maintaining cognitive function, mental health, and physical health with age. [1] Furthermore, curiosity has been connected to higher levels of life satisfaction and positive emotions and lower levels of anxiety. [2] Curiosity keeps us happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. If curiosity were a pill, all the world’s pharmaceutical companies would call it a super-drug and clamor to sell it.
2018年的一项研究发现,好奇心激活的大脑系统有助于维持认知功能、心理健康和身体健康,并伴随年龄增长。[1] 此外,好奇心还与更高的生活满意度、积极情绪和更低的焦虑水平相关。[2] 好奇心让我们更快乐、更健康、更充实。如果好奇心是一种药丸,全世界的制药公司都会称其为超级药物,争相销售。
Mental Wealth is about building on the foundation of curiosity that encourages you to search, explore, question, and learn. It is through curiosity that you go on the journey to uncover and live by your purpose, unlock new insights and lifelong growth, and seek out the space necessary to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge.
精神财富建立在好奇心的基础之上,好奇心鼓励你去探索、发现、质疑和学习。正是通过好奇心,你才能踏上发现并践行人生目标的旅程,获得新的洞见和终身成长,并找到必要的空间去思考、调整、思考问题和充电。
It’s difficult to determine how, but when you pursue life with genuine, inspired, childlike curiosity, good things tend to happen, both personally and professionally.
很难确定具体原因,但当你以真诚、充满灵感、孩童般的好奇心追求生活时,好事往往会发生,无论是在个人生活还是职业生涯中。
You can find examples of the power of curiosity all around you:
你身边到处都能找到好奇心的力量:
The aspiring entrepreneurs who find their “big ideas” by deeply exploring new markets and business models that pique their interest
那些渴望创业的人,通过深入探索激发他们兴趣的新市场和商业模式,找到他们的“伟大构想”。
The retirees who keep their minds working by learning new languages that intrigue them
那些通过学习自己感兴趣的新语言来保持思维活跃的退休人士
The people who meet their life partners by going to events that spark their excitement
那些在能激发他们兴奋感的活动中遇到人生伴侣的人
The CEOs who credit their long-term successes to a regular “Think Day” (a day off to freely contemplate the biggest challenges facing the business)
那些将长期成功归功于定期设立的“思考日”(休息一天,自由思考企业面临的最大挑战)的首席执行官们
One fact is clear: Fortune favors the curious.
有一点很明确:机遇总是眷顾好奇心强的人。
Unfortunately, that raw childhood curiosity you’re born with slowly atrophies throughout your adult life. Reality sets in—the need to provide, the “busyness” of life, the urgency of just about everything—and curiosity takes a permanent back seat.
可惜的是,你与生俱来的那种孩童般的好奇心会在成年生活中慢慢消磨殆尽。现实接踵而至——养家糊口的需要、生活的“忙碌”、几乎所有事情的紧迫感——好奇心从此被彻底搁置。
This is far from conjecture. Studies have shown that intellectual curiosity [3] and degree of openness to new experiences [4] appear to decline with age, beginning in late adolescence and continuing throughout adulthood. One group of researchers has argued that the decline is driven by a lower perception of future time, meaning that as you age, you see less value in acting on curiosity, as it will mainly benefit you in a future time window that is quickly closing.
这绝非臆测。研究表明,求知欲[3]和对新体验的开放程度[4]似乎会随着年龄的增长而下降,这种下降从青春期后期开始,一直持续到成年期。一组研究人员认为,这种下降是由对未来时间感知的降低所驱动的,也就是说,随着年龄的增长,人们会觉得满足好奇心的价值降低,因为好奇心主要会在迅速消逝的未来窗口期内发挥作用。
I would propose that the age-related curiosity decline is a clever, albeit outdated, evolutionary survival trait. Curiosity serves you in your early years as you learn about the world; a rapid ascent up the learning curve is what allows you to survive to reproductive age in the wild. But once you’ve figured out how your world works, that same curiosity is more likely to kill you in your later years if it pushes you to explore beyond the safety of your core routines. Unfortunately, in a modern world where few need to concern themselves with the risk of being eaten by a lion should they get curious about a sound in the brush, I would argue that our diminishing curiosity does more harm than good.
我认为,随着年龄增长而出现的好奇心衰退是一种巧妙的、尽管略显过时的进化生存策略。好奇心在你幼年时期对你大有裨益,它能帮助你了解世界;快速提升学习能力是你在野外生存到繁殖年龄的关键。但是,一旦你了解了世界的运作方式,这种好奇心在晚年反而更有可能致命,因为它会驱使你探索超出你日常习惯的安全范围之外的区域。不幸的是,在现代社会,很少有人需要担心因为好奇灌木丛中的某个声音而被狮子吃掉,因此我认为我们好奇心的衰退弊大于利。
A life without curiosity is a life devoid of the desire to search, explore, and learn and lacks the texture created by this desire. A life without curiosity is an empty life, a life of stasis, a life without wonder.
缺乏好奇心的生活,是缺乏探索、发现和学习欲望的生活,也缺乏这种欲望所创造的丰富内涵。缺乏好奇心的生活是空虚的,是停滞的,是没有奇迹的生活。
Paraphrasing a friend on the topic, inside every eighty-year-old is a ten-year-old wondering, What the f*ck just happened?
借用一位朋友的话来说,每个八十岁的老人内心都住着一个十岁的孩子,他会想:刚才到底发生了什么?
But the seeds of that sentiment are sown many years earlier. They are sown in your twenties and thirties when you stop pursuing any interests or hobbies outside your job. They are sown in your forties and fifties when you stop trying to understand the world and start saying, “That’s just the way it is.” They are sown in your sixties and seventies when you stop learning new things because you don’t see any utility in it anymore.
但这种想法的种子早在很多年前就已埋下。它在你二三十岁时就已播下,那时你不再追求工作以外的任何兴趣爱好。它在你四五十岁时就已播下,那时你不再试图理解这个世界,而是开始说“事情就是这样”。它在你六七十岁时就已播下,那时你不再学习新事物,因为你觉得它毫无用处。
Most people have lost touch with their inner ten-year-olds— but it’s not too late to reconnect.
大多数人已经失去了与内心十岁孩童的联系——但现在重新建立联系还不算晚。
Mental time travel is a neat trick for self-reflection. In its simplest form, it involves separating from one’s present self and entering a past or future version of the self. It’s a useful tool for creating gratitude—imagine how amazed your younger self would be at what you’ve accomplished. And it gives you perspective—imagine how much your older self would long to be where you are today. In this instance, mental time travel can provide a clear lens through which we can evaluate our Mental Wealth.
精神时空旅行是一种巧妙的自我反思技巧。最简单的形式是,它让我们暂时脱离现在的自己,进入过去或未来的自己。这是一种培养感恩之心的有效工具——想象一下,年轻的你会多么惊叹于你如今的成就。它还能让你拥有更广阔的视角——想象一下,年长的你会多么渴望拥有你现在的成就。在这种情况下,精神时空旅行可以为我们提供一个清晰的视角,让我们得以审视自身的精神财富。
So what would your ten-year-old, hyper-curious, mischievous self say to you today?
那么,你十岁时那个充满好奇心、调皮捣蛋的自己,今天会对你说什么呢?
Would that ten-year-old express excitement at your vigor for the journey or resentment that you settled for something less than what you deserve?
那个十岁的孩子会因为你对这段旅程的热情而感到兴奋,还是会因为你接受了低于自己应得的东西而感到不满?
Would that ten-year-old be impressed by your joy for continued growth, development, and learning?
那个十岁的孩子会被你对持续成长、发展和学习的热情所打动吗?
Would that ten-year-old shudder at the absence of space, stillness, and silence in your life?
如果你的生活中缺少空间、宁静和安静,那个十岁的孩子会感到不寒而栗吗?
Your ten-year-old self would remind you to stay interested in the world and have some fun along the way. When life pulls you toward the sameness of incurious, static adulthood, you must fight to maintain your wonder for the universe.
十岁的你会提醒你,要保持对世界的好奇心,并在过程中享受乐趣。当生活把你拉向平淡无奇、停滞不前的成年生活时,你必须努力保持对宇宙的好奇心。
Hank Behar will turn one hundred before this book hits shelves. On his ninety-ninth birthday, one of his grandsons made a short documentary in which he followed Hank for a day and asked about his secrets to a long life. Breakfast is decaf coffee with milk; herring; Cheerios with skim milk, blueberries, and a banana; two crackers with jam; and exactly ten grapes; and after his wife, Phyllis, helps him peel the banana, she departs with a kiss on the cheek. Hank looks at the camera and says, “How do you make it to ninety-nine? You marry a good woman.” His loving, mischievous nature shines through. After breakfast, Hank is shown in his recliner, newspaper in hand, where he happily says, “I read the paper every day. I like to know what’s going on, of course—who, what, when, and where!”
汉克·贝哈尔(Hank Behar)将在本书出版前迎来百岁生日。在他九十九岁生日那天,他的一个孙子拍摄了一部短纪录片,跟随汉克一天,探寻他的长寿秘诀。早餐是:一杯加牛奶的无咖啡因咖啡;鲱鱼;麦片配脱脂牛奶、蓝莓和一根香蕉;两块涂了果酱的饼干;以及整整十颗葡萄。他的妻子菲利斯(Phyllis)帮他剥完香蕉后,在他脸颊上亲吻了一下便离开了。汉克对着镜头说:“怎么才能活到九十九岁?娶个好妻子。”他慈爱又顽皮的性格跃然纸上。早餐后,镜头转向汉克,他躺在躺椅上,手里拿着报纸,高兴地说:“我每天都看报纸。我当然喜欢了解时事——谁、什么、何时、何地!”
I hope he has many years of learning ahead of him, and I hope that his story inspires each of you to reconnect with your inner child. I suppose there are many reasons I tell people I want to be like Hank when I grow up, but one stands above the rest:
我希望他未来还有很多年可以学习,也希望他的故事能激励你们每个人重新找回内心的童真。我想,我告诉别人我长大后想成为像汉克那样的人有很多原因,但其中最重要的一点是:
Hank has built a life of abundant Mental Wealth.
汉克建立了一种拥有丰富精神财富的人生。
Some people die at twenty-five and aren’t buried until seventy-five.
—Unknown
有些人二十五岁就去世了,却直到七十五岁才被埋葬。——佚名
A young prince raised in a world of luxury ventures out of the palace and encounters the reality of suffering that exists outside its walls. He sees an old man, frail as he nears the end; a sick person feeling the pain of illness; a corpse lost to this world; and an ascetic who has renounced worldly life. Suddenly exposed to the truth that his royal upbringing has masked, he decides to embark on a journey to confront and overcome suffering and to achieve a higher understanding of existence. He removes the robes and ornaments that signify his princely status and crosses the river to seek out his higher-order purpose.
一位在奢华世界中长大的年轻王子走出宫廷,亲眼目睹了宫墙之外的苦难现实。他看到一位垂暮老人,身体虚弱,生命垂危;一位病人饱受病痛折磨;一具逝去的尸体;以及一位遁世苦行僧。突然间,他意识到自己从小接受的皇室教育掩盖了真相,于是决定踏上旅程,直面并战胜苦难,以求获得更高的人生意义。他脱下象征王子身份的华服和饰物,渡过河流,去追寻他更高层次的人生使命。
The young prince, Siddhartha Gautama, faces a long, arduous path of trials that culminate in his stillness underneath a bodhi tree. Here he attains enlightenment, becoming the Buddha, and commits to sharing his learnings on how to overcome suffering. Today, over five hundred million people around the world follow his teachings.
年轻的王子悉达多·乔达摩经历了漫长而艰辛的磨难,最终在菩提树下证得觉悟,成为佛陀,并致力于传播他关于如何克服苦难的教义。如今,全世界有超过五亿人追随他的教诲。
Throughout history, the quest for a life of purpose, growth, and reflection has been a core part of the human experience. This quest appears in different forms across a variety of ancient cultures.
纵观历史,追求有意义、能让人成长和反思的人生一直是人类体验的核心组成部分。这种追求在各种古代文化中以不同的形式呈现。
In ancient Hindu traditions, the concept of dharma refers to one’s sacred duty—the life purpose that allows one to navigate the unknown with bravery and courage. Your dharma does not have to be grand or impressive; it must simply be yours. In the opening scene of the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu text that is part of the epic Mahabharata, the protagonist, Arjuna, stands before a battlefield at the outset of a great war with his rivals. Wrestling with the inner turmoil of a battle that will see him fight family members, Arjuna consults his charioteer, Krishna, a mortal incarnation of the god Vishnu, for guidance. Krishna encourages him to center his actions on his purpose, saying, “One’s own dharma performed imperfectly is better than another’s dharma well performed…It is better to strive in one’s own dharma than to succeed in the dharma of another. Nothing is ever lost in following one’s own dharma. But competition in another’s dharma breeds fear and insecurity.”
在古老的印度教传统中,“达摩”(Dharma)指的是一个人的神圣职责——一种人生目标,它使人能够勇敢无畏地探索未知。你的达摩不必多么伟大或令人瞩目;它只需要是你自己的。在《薄伽梵歌》(Bhagavad Gita)的开篇,主人公阿周那(Arjuna)站在战场上,即将与他的对手展开一场大战。《薄伽梵歌》是印度史诗《摩诃婆罗多》(Mahabharata)的一部分。阿周那内心充满挣扎,因为他即将与家人兵戎相见,于是他向他的御者克里希那(Krishna)——毗湿奴神(Vishnu)的化身——寻求指引。克里希那鼓励他将行动的重心放在自己的目标上,说道:“即使不完美地履行自己的法,也胜过完美地履行他人的法……努力践行自己的法胜过在他人的法中取得成功。遵循自己的法永远不会有任何损失。但在他人的法中竞争只会滋生恐惧和不安全感。”
In ancient Greece, the concept of arete was used to capture the idea of living up to one’s full potential and purpose. Arete was, in some sense, the earliest known incarnation of the modern self-improvement movement, encouraging the people to strive for continuous growth and excellence across a range of life areas, including relationships, intellectual pursuits, moral conduct, and more. The concept connects closely to eudaemonia, a state of flourishing happiness and fulfillment that is achieved only through seeking growth, meaning, purpose, and authenticity. The ancient Greek philosophers believed that through the pursuit of arete, the intentional life of growth and purpose, one can achieve a state of eudaemonic happiness.
在古希腊,“卓越”(arete)的概念被用来概括充分发挥自身潜能和实现人生目标的理念。从某种意义上说,“卓越”是现代自我提升运动的最早雏形,它鼓励人们在包括人际关系、学术追求、道德操守等在内的诸多生活领域中不断追求进步和卓越。这一概念与“幸福”(eudaemonia)密切相关,后者是一种唯有通过追求成长、意义、目标和真我才能达到的幸福美满的状态。古希腊哲学家认为,通过追求“卓越”,即有意识地追求成长和目标,人们可以达到“幸福”的境界。
In the Buddhist teachings of the young, enlightened prince, the Noble Eightfold Path outlines the key practices to achieve enlightenment. The eight elements are split into three categories: wisdom (right view, right resolve, right speech), ethical conduct (right action, right livelihood, right effort), and mental discipline (right mindfulness, right concentration). The Noble Eightfold Path is a lifelong journey that provides seekers with a clear purpose and direction for their daily practice. It is often referred to as the Middle Way—a life path that exists between a life of pure self-indulgence and a life of pure self-mortification and offers a promise of balance and practicality on the way to liberation from suffering.
在年轻觉悟的王子所传授的佛教教义中,八正道概述了证得觉悟的关键修行方法。这八个要素分为三大类:智慧(正见、正思惟、正语)、伦理(正业、正命、正精进)和精神(正念、正定)。八正道是一条终身修行之路,它为求道者提供了清晰的目标和方向,指导他们的日常修行。它常被称为中道——一条介于纯粹的享乐和纯粹的苦行之间的道路,承诺在通往解脱痛苦的道路上保持平衡与务实。
The vision quest was a common spiritual practice in various indigenous cultures across the Americas. The seeker would embark on a personal journey that typically included solitude, meditation, and fasting. It was a journey undertaken to understand oneself and one’s role in family, community, and universe.
在美洲各地的原住民文化中,寻梦之旅是一种常见的灵性实践。寻求者会踏上一段个人旅程,通常包括独处、冥想和斋戒。这是一段旨在了解自我以及自身在家庭、社群和宇宙中所扮演角色的旅程。
The legendary centenarians of Okinawa, Japan, refer to ikigai —a combination of the Japanese word iki, meaning “life,” and gai, meaning “effect” or “worth.” Together, they connote “a reason for life”—a driver of their daily vigor. Ikigai can be visualized as four overlapping circles: (1) what you love, (2) what you are good at, (3) what the world needs, and (4) what you can be paid for. The area where the four circles overlap represents your ikigai .
日本冲绳的百岁老人常说“ikigai”,这个词由日语单词“iki”(生命)和“gai”(意义或价值)组成。它们合起来意味着“活着的理由”,是他们每日活力的源泉。“ikigai”可以形象地表示为四个重叠的圆圈:(1)你热爱的事物,(2)你擅长的事物,(3)世界需要的事物,以及(4)你可以获得报酬的事物。这四个圆圈重叠的部分就代表了你的“ikigai”。
While the Westernized version of the concept has largely focused on purpose through work or professional success, the original, and indeed the version from the centenarian Okinawans, is meant to transcend one’s career. While your purpose can certainly involve your professional career and economic considerations, it need not be defined by them. For this reason, my own interpretation of ikigai removes the fourth circle from the visual. What the world needs can be broadly interpreted to include or exclude professional constructs based on your personal situation.
虽然西方化的“生き甲斐”(ikigai)概念大多侧重于通过工作或职业成功来实现人生目标,但其最初的定义,尤其是冲绳百岁老人的版本,旨在超越个人的职业范畴。你的人生目标当然可以包含你的职业生涯和经济考量,但它并非必须由这些因素来定义。因此,我个人对“生き甲斐”的理解是去掉了图示中的第四个圆圈。世界需要什么,可以根据你的个人情况进行广义的解读,既可以包含也可以排除职业范畴。
The narrative arc of the hero’s journey—an individual in search of a defining purpose navigates the painful trials of life, grows through them, and finds the true self in the process—is irresistible to the human brain because it is exactly the path most people find themselves on. We are all searching for our purpose. It is a tale as old as time, observed, written about, and passed down through the stories and myths of every culture, religion, and society. Siddhartha Gautama’s path from sheltered prince to enlightened teacher is a classic example of the hero’s journey—a boy escapes the confines of the fate that was written for him and creates his own destiny.
英雄之旅的叙事结构——一个人为了寻找人生意义,经历人生的种种磨难,不断成长,最终找到真正的自我——对人类大脑有着不可抗拒的吸引力,因为它恰恰是大多数人最终都会走上的道路。我们都在寻找人生的意义。这是一个古老的故事,被人们观察、书写,并通过各种文化、宗教和社会的传说和神话代代相传。悉达多·乔达摩从受庇护的王子成长为开悟的导师,便是英雄之旅的经典范例——一个男孩挣脱了既定的命运束缚,创造了属于自己的未来。
You are on your own hero’s journey, a journey to uncover and live through your purpose, to grow through it, and find yourself along the way. Unfortunately, the forces conspiring against you in the modern era are robust. These forces threaten to knock you off your path, to confine you to a life lived by default.
你正踏上属于你自己的英雄之旅,一段发现并践行人生使命、不断成长、最终找到自我的旅程。然而,不幸的是,在当今时代,种种势力都在暗中阻挠你。这些势力企图将你击落,让你过上随波逐流、得过且过的生活。
Only you can be the hero of your story—it’s time you start acting like it.
只有你才能成为自己故事里的英雄——是时候开始像个英雄一样行动了。
Harsh truth: The world wants you to consent to a life of stasis. The world wants you to settle.
残酷的真相:这个世界希望你接受一种停滞不前的生活。这个世界希望你安于现状。
In his final shareholder letter prior to stepping down as CEO, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos quoted a passage from Richard Dawkins’s book The Blind Watchmaker:
在卸任首席执行官前的最后一封股东信中,亚马逊创始人杰夫·贝佐斯引用了理查德·道金斯所著《盲眼钟表匠》中的一段话:
“Staving off death is a thing that you have to work at. Left to itself—and that is what it is when it dies—the body tends to revert to a state of equilibrium with its environment…. If living things didn’t work actively to prevent it, they would eventually merge into their surroundings, and cease to exist as autonomous beings. That is what happens when they die.”
“延缓死亡需要付出努力。如果任其自然——而死亡正是如此——身体往往会恢复到与环境的平衡状态……如果生物体不积极主动地阻止死亡,它们最终会融入周围环境,不再作为自主个体存在。这就是它们死亡时发生的情况。”
Equilibrium with your surroundings—this state of normalcy—is your natural state. It’s easy to live in this natural state, to conform to the path laid out for you, to believe in your limits, to accept the default settings of meaning and purpose bestowed upon you, to allow life to rapidly pass you by.
与周围环境保持平衡——这种正常状态——是你的自然状态。在这种自然状态下生活很容易,顺应为你设定的道路很容易,相信自己的局限很容易,接受赋予你的默认意义和目标也很容易,任由生命飞逝而过也很容易。
Reflecting on the passage, Bezos wrote, “In what ways does the world pull at you in an attempt to make you normal? How much work does it take to maintain your distinctiveness?…What I’m really asking you to do is to embrace and be realistic about how much energy it takes to maintain that distinctiveness. The world wants you to be typical—in a thousand ways, it pulls at you. Don’t let it happen. You have to pay a price for your distinctiveness, and it’s worth it.”
贝佐斯在反思这段话时写道:“这个世界在哪些方面试图让你变得‘普通’?你需要付出多少努力才能保持你的独特性?……我真正想请你做的是,接受并正视保持独特性所需的精力。这个世界希望你变得平庸——它在方方面面都在试图拉扯你。不要让它得逞。你必须为你的独特性付出代价,但这绝对值得。”
You must fight to maintain your distinctiveness—consistently, relentlessly.
你必须坚持不懈地捍卫你的独特性。
Distinctiveness is about choosing to live out your story, not someone else’s:
独特性在于选择活出自己的故事,而不是别人的故事:
The mother who defines her current season of life around a desire to be present with her young children rather than continuing to climb the corporate ladder
这位母亲将自己人生的现阶段定义为渴望陪伴年幼的孩子,而不是继续攀登事业的阶梯。
The entrepreneur who pursues the crazy idea everyone laughs at
那个追求人人嘲笑的疯狂想法的企业家
The recent graduate who pursues a creative path instead of the obvious one that his classmates defaulted to
这位应届毕业生没有选择同学们通常选择的寻常道路,而是走上了一条充满创意的道路。
The recent retiree who learns a new language rather than sitting on the beach
这位最近退休的人没有选择在海滩上晒太阳,而是学习了一门新语言。
The middle manager who takes on an eccentric hobby because it gives her energy
一位中层经理因为爱好古怪而充满活力,她开始培养这项爱好。
The ninety-year-old man who spends his birthday in a Harvard astronomy class rather than watching television
这位九十岁的老人没有选择看电视,而是在哈佛大学的天文学课堂上度过了他的生日。
The fight against normalcy is the most important fight of your life. To maintain your uniqueness, to live on your terms in a world that pulls you to blend in, is the only way to realize your full potential and live a fulfilled, texture-rich existence.
与平庸作斗争是你人生中最重要的一场战斗。在这个试图让你融入其中的世界里,保持你的独特性,按照自己的方式生活,是实现你全部潜能、过上充实而丰富多彩的生活的唯一途径。
Ultimately, this is what it means to build a life of Mental Wealth: to live according to your own purpose, to believe in your own ability to grow, change, learn, and develop, and to find your definition of peace, calm, and solitude in a fast-moving world.
归根结底,这就是构建精神财富的意义所在:按照自己的目标生活,相信自己有能力成长、改变、学习和发展,并在快速变化的世界中找到自己对和平、平静和独处的定义。
A life of Mental Wealth is a life of victory in the fight against equilibrium; it is a life that pays the price for its distinctiveness from its surroundings and reaps the immense rewards held therein.
精神财富的人生,是在与平衡作斗争中取得胜利的人生;它为与周围环境的不同付出代价,并从中获得巨大的回报。
On a warm, sunny day in June 2005, Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs walked to the podium at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, California.
2005 年 6 月一个温暖晴朗的日子,苹果公司创始人兼首席执行官史蒂夫·乔布斯走上位于加利福尼亚州帕洛阿尔托斯坦福体育场的讲台。
At the time, Jobs, widely regarded as one of the history’s great entrepreneurs—he had founded Apple, Pixar, and computer upstart NeXT—was reeling from a battle waged on unfamiliar terrain, outside his favored design studios, offices, and boardrooms. In 2003, he was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer; it required treatment and, eventually, surgery, after which he returned to his life’s work at Apple. It was against this backdrop that Steve Jobs took the stage to deliver the commencement address at Stanford University to the graduating class of 2005.
当时,被公认为历史上最伟大的企业家之一——他创立了苹果公司、皮克斯动画工作室和计算机初创公司NeXT——的乔布斯,正经历着一场在陌生领域展开的战斗,这场战斗发生在他熟悉的工作室、办公室和会议室之外。2003年,他被诊断出患有一种罕见的胰腺癌;他接受了治疗,最终还进行了手术,之后他重返苹果公司,继续从事他毕生热爱的工作。正是在这样的背景下,史蒂夫·乔布斯登上斯坦福大学的讲台,为2005届毕业生发表了毕业典礼演讲。
While the entire address is powerful, it ends on a particularly striking note:
虽然整篇演讲都很精彩,但结尾尤其引人注目:
Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary…. Stay hungry. Stay foolish.
你的时间有限,所以不要浪费时间去过别人的生活。不要被教条所束缚——那意味着活在别人思考的结果里。不要让别人的意见淹没你内心的声音。最重要的是,要有勇气追随你的内心和直觉。它们早已知道你真正想成为什么样的人。其他一切都是次要的……保持求知欲,保持虚荣心。
Steve Jobs’s words offer a fitting introduction to the three core pillars of Mental Wealth:
史蒂夫·乔布斯的话恰如其分地引出了精神财富的三大核心支柱:
Purpose: The clarity of defining your unique vision and focus that creates meaning and aligns short- and long-term decision making; the unwillingness to live someone else’s life
目的:清晰地定义你独特的愿景和关注点,从而创造意义,并使短期和长期决策保持一致;不愿过别人的生活
Growth: The hunger to progress and change, driven by an understanding of the dynamic potential of your intelligence, ability, and character
成长:渴望进步和改变,这种渴望源于对自身智力、能力和性格所蕴含的巨大潜能的理解。
Space: The creation of stillness and solitude to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge; the ability and willingness to listen to your inner voice
空间:创造静谧独处的空间,用于思考、调整、探索问题和充电;倾听内心声音的能力和意愿。
As you measure Mental Wealth as part of your new scoreboard, the three pillars—purpose, growth, and space—provide a blueprint for the right actions to build it. By developing an understanding of these pillars and the high-leverage systems to affect them, you can begin to create the right outcomes.
在将精神财富纳入新的衡量标准时,目标、成长和空间这三大支柱将为构建精神财富提供正确的行动蓝图。通过深入理解这些支柱以及能够有效影响它们的系统,您就能开始创造理想的结果。
In November 2005, National Geographic ran a cover story that took the world by storm.
2005年11月,《国家地理》杂志刊登了一篇封面故事,引起了全世界的轰动。
The article—“The Secrets of Long Life”—was based on the findings of Dan Buettner, an intrepid record-holding transcontinental cyclist, Emmy Award–winning producer, and entrepreneur who had spent years exploring and studying the lives of centenarians around the world. Buettner had originally encountered these longevity hot spots on his travels as a cyclist—among them a 15,536-mile ride from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, and an 11,885-mile ride from Bizerte, Tunisia, to Cape Agulhas, South Africa—but he began to study them more diligently as he built an education company focused on global, student-directed exploration. Following the sale of his company and his departure from operational duties, Buettner kicked off a formal quest to reverse-engineer the principles of longevity by studying those societies that seemed to have cracked its code. He partnered with Michel Poulain and Giovanni Pes—two longevity researchers who had coined the term blue zone to refer to a geographic area characterized by extraordinary human longevity—and set off to identify and decode all such blue zones around the world.
这篇文章——《长寿的秘密》——基于丹·布特纳的研究成果。布特纳是一位勇敢无畏、保持着横跨大陆自行车骑行纪录的骑行者、艾美奖获奖制片人兼企业家,他多年来致力于探索和研究世界各地百岁老人的生活。布特纳最初是在骑行旅途中偶然发现了这些长寿热点地区——其中包括从阿拉斯加普拉德霍湾骑行15536英里到达阿根廷火地岛,以及从突尼斯比塞大骑行11885英里到达南非阿古拉斯角——但随着他创办了一家专注于全球学生自主探索的教育公司,他开始更加深入地研究这些地区。在出售公司并卸任运营职务后,布特纳正式开启了一项研究,旨在通过研究那些似乎已经破解长寿密码的社会,来逆向工程长寿的原理。他与米歇尔·普兰和乔瓦尼·佩斯这两位长寿研究专家合作,他们创造了“蓝色地带”一词来指代人类寿命异常长的地理区域,并着手识别和解读世界各地所有这样的蓝色地带。
Three years later, after expanding the body of research, Buettner released a book on the topic entitled The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, which explored the habits of the ageless populations of these locales. One particularly interesting common habit of the world’s longest-lived people: They all find their life’s purpose.
三年后,在扩展了研究范围之后,布特纳出版了一本关于此主题的书,名为《蓝色地带:从长寿人群身上汲取长寿秘诀》,探讨了这些地区长寿人群的生活习惯。世界上最长寿人群的一个特别有趣的共同习惯是:他们都找到了自己的人生目标。
This purpose provides daily meaning. It creates an identity, an understanding of who you are, what you stand for, and where you’re going. It defines how you connect with the world around you.
这个目标赋予你每日生活的意义。它塑造你的身份认同,让你了解自己是谁,你的立场是什么,以及你的未来方向。它定义了你与周围世界的关系。
For example, my purpose is simple: to create positive ripples in the world through my writing and content, businesses I start or invest in, and relationships. This unique (and somewhat abstract) purpose provides clarity around my actions. When I write, I focus on how the words and theme may create chain reactions in the world—how readers may be sparked into actions that will have a positive impact on their lives. When I build or invest, I focus on how the company may create value in the lives of the various stakeholders. When I love, I focus on how I can lift others to new heights, give them a new view on the world, and unlock their full potential. The way I engage with my purpose changes from day to day, but it is always unique to me—it is a part of who I am.
例如,我的目标很简单:通过我的写作和内容、我创办或投资的企业以及人际关系,在世界上产生积极的涟漪。这个独特(且略带抽象)的目标让我的行动更加清晰。写作时,我专注于文字和主题如何在世界上引发连锁反应——如何激励读者采取行动,从而对他们的生活产生积极影响。创业或投资时,我专注于公司如何为各个利益相关者创造价值。热爱生活时,我专注于如何帮助他人提升到新的高度,赋予他们看待世界的新视角,并激发他们的全部潜能。我践行目标的方式每天都在变化,但它始终是独一无二的——它是我的一部分。
Your purpose is your sword in the fight for distinctiveness, a fight that is won when you extend well beyond the self and manifest that purpose in the world.
你的目标是你争取独特性的利剑,而当你超越自我,将目标展现于世时,这场战斗便能取得胜利。
Living a purpose-imbued life means regularly connecting to something bigger than you—something outside yourself that defines your identity and guides your daily actions. It might be to build a company that influences millions of lives, to provide for your loved ones, to bring joy to a group that rarely feels it, or to be a useful member of your local community. Your purpose need not be impressive or grand to anyone else—it is personal; it is yours.
过一种充满意义的生活意味着定期与某种超越自身的事物建立联系——某种外在于你、定义你身份并指引你日常行动的事物。它可以是创建一家影响数百万人生活的公司,可以是为你的挚爱亲人提供保障,可以是为那些鲜少感受到快乐的群体带来快乐,也可以是成为你所在社区的有用成员。你的目标不必令他人惊叹或宏大——它是私人的,只属于你。
Importantly, as the blue-zones research and various scientific studies have found, this is associated with a longer, happier, more fulfilled life. Robert Butler, a legendary gerontologist considered one of the pioneers of healthy-aging research, led an eleven-year study to evaluate the role that purpose plays in longevity. [5] It found that those who expressed a clear purpose in life lived about seven years longer and had a higher quality of life than those who did not. A more recent 2019 study in The Journal of the American Medical Association looked at seven thousand Americans and linked a strong sense of purpose with a lower risk of all-cause mortality after age fifty. [6]
重要的是,正如“蓝色地带”研究和多项科学研究发现的那样,这与更长寿、更幸福、更充实的人生密切相关。罗伯特·巴特勒是一位传奇的老年学家,被认为是健康老龄化研究的先驱之一。他领导了一项为期11年的研究,旨在评估人生目标在长寿中所起的作用。[5] 研究发现,那些拥有明确人生目标的人比那些没有明确人生目标的人寿命平均延长了约7年,并且生活质量更高。2019年发表在《美国医学会杂志》上的一项最新研究调查了7000名美国人,并将强烈的人生目标感与50岁以后全因死亡风险降低联系起来。[6]
Your purpose does not need to be related to your career. In fact, among the over one hundred readers I surveyed who self-identified as having strong clarity of purpose, less than 20 percent said that the work they were doing for primary employment was their purpose.
你的目标不必与你的职业相关。事实上,在我调查的一百多位自认为目标明确的读者中,只有不到20%的人表示他们目前的主要工作就是他们的目标。
With this group, purpose was, in essence, like a snowflake, never appearing the same way twice:
对于这个群体来说,目标本质上就像雪花一样,永远不会以相同的方式出现两次:
A mid-forties married male had a passion project mentoring local at-risk youth. The opportunity to be the positive force that he felt was missing from his childhood was a powerful driver.
一位四十多岁的已婚男士热衷于一项帮助当地弱势青少年的计划。他觉得自己童年时期缺少的正能量,让他有机会成为其中一员,这成为他投身这项事业的强大动力。
A mid-fifties mother of three grown children said that her close involvement with her local church had breathed new life into her world since her children had left the house.
一位五十多岁、育有三个成年子女的母亲说,自从孩子们离家后,她积极参与当地教会的活动,这给她的生活注入了新的活力。
An early-thirties mother identified raising happy, loving children as the purpose of this season of her life. She had been a high-powered creative director in the prior season but felt more intrinsic motivation around this new, non-work purpose than she ever had for anything before.
一位三十出头的母亲将养育快乐、充满爱的孩子视为她人生这一阶段的目标。此前,她是一位事业有成的创意总监,但如今,她对这个全新的、非工作的目标感到前所未有的内在动力。
A late-twenties single woman focused on climate and political activism. The chance to inspire others to spark change was exhilarating.
一位二十多岁的单身女性,专注于气候和政治活动。能够激励他人引发变革,令她感到无比振奋。
An early-forties married woman pointed to her love for her coworkers and the shared vision within the company to improve the quality of storytelling of the brands they work with.
一位四十出头的已婚女性指出,她热爱她的同事,并且公司内部有着共同的愿景,那就是提高他们所合作品牌的叙事质量。
An early-seventies retiree said his purpose was to dote on his wife in their golden years after all the sacrifices she had made for their family in the preceding fifty.
一位七十出头的退休人士表示,他的目标是在晚年好好疼爱妻子,因为妻子在过去的五十年里为家庭做出了巨大的牺牲。
A fifty-year-old husband and father of four was entirely focused on providing for his children. He called it a “sacred duty” and said it made him feel more connected to his job.
一位五十岁的丈夫和四个孩子的父亲,全身心投入到养家糊口中。他称之为“神圣的职责”,并表示这让他感觉与自己的工作联系更加紧密。
A late-thirties single man identified his defining purpose as building his fledgling start-up to eventually influence a billion lives.
一位年近四十的单身男子将自己的人生目标定为:打造一家能够最终影响十亿人生活的初创公司。
If you are someone who feels a deep purpose and meaning through your primary employment, that is great—but if you don’t, remember that you are far from alone, and you can still live a purpose-imbued life by connecting with your purpose outside of work.
如果你能从你的主要工作中感受到深刻的目标和意义,那很好——但如果你没有这种感觉,请记住你并不孤单,你仍然可以通过在工作之外与你的目标建立联系来过上充满意义的生活。
Remember the lesson from the Bhagavad Gita: “One’s own dharma performed imperfectly is better than another’s dharma well performed.” Your purpose doesn’t have to be grand or important to anyone else—it must simply be yours.
记住《薄伽梵歌》中的教诲:“不完美地履行自己的职责,也胜过完美地履行他人的职责。”你的目标不必宏大,也不必对任何人重要——它只需要是你自己的目标。
Hank Behar’s wife, Phyllis, is ten years his junior. At eighty-eight years old, she has a smile and youthful glow about her that my friends in their mid-thirties would kill for. When I spoke to her to hear her perspectives on her husband’s birthday visit to Harvard and gather any old photos she had from the day, she casually mentioned a new source of joy in her life: “I am convinced that painting is life-giving for me. At eighty-eight, I am in two painting classes, which are wonderful sources of inspiration and companionship.”
汉克·贝哈尔的妻子菲利斯比他小十岁。她今年八十八岁,笑容灿烂,容光焕发,令我那些三十多岁的朋友羡慕不已。我与她交谈,想听听她对丈夫生日来哈佛的感受,并收集一些当天的老照片。她漫不经心地提到了她生活中新的快乐源泉:“我确信绘画能赋予我生命。八十八岁高龄的我,还在上两门绘画课,这给了我极大的灵感和陪伴。”
An eighty-eight-year-old learning and finding joy in the pursuit of new skills that have no utility beyond the sheer enjoyment she gets from the experience and personal growth. The active, continuous pursuit of new interests and curiosities, irrespective of their direct utility, is, as Phyllis Behar noted, life-giving.
一位八十八岁的老人,在学习新技能的过程中找到了乐趣,这些技能除了让她享受学习过程和个人成长带来的愉悦之外,并无其他实际用途。正如菲利斯·贝哈尔所指出的,积极、持续地追求新的兴趣和好奇心,无论其是否具有直接的实用价值,都是赋予生命活力的。
Growth is how you stay ahead of the forces of nature that conspire against you. The pursuit of improvement is a courageous act in a world where most people avoid friction at all costs. Why learn a new language when you can use Google Translate? Why take up a new hobby when you can sit on the couch and watch the latest show? Why push to master a new professional skill when you can get by with your current competency?
成长就是战胜那些与你作对的自然力量。在这个大多数人竭力避免摩擦的世界里,追求进步是一种勇敢的行为。既然可以用谷歌翻译,为什么还要学习一门新语言?既然可以舒舒服服地窝在沙发上看最新剧集,为什么还要培养一项新的爱好?既然现有的技能就能应付,为什么还要努力掌握一项新的专业技能?
Why do any of that? Because you are capable of so much more than you realize—and chasing that full potential, while difficult, is a worthy lifelong pursuit that keeps you sharp and proves you can change, develop, and adapt.
为什么要这样做?因为你的能力远超你的想象——追求全部潜能虽然困难,但却是一项值得终身投入的事业,它能让你保持敏锐,并证明你可以改变、发展和适应。
Interestingly, the pursuit of growth as a means with no desired end does, quite often, produce the most compelling ends. History is littered with examples of lifelong learners who have achieved extraordinary outcomes.
有趣的是,以成长为手段而不预设最终目的的做法,往往能带来最令人瞩目的成果。历史上不乏终身学习者取得非凡成就的例子。
Benjamin Franklin would have had an impressive LinkedIn profile. During his life, Franklin built a media empire, helped craft the earliest founding documents of the United States, and invented the lightning rod, bifocal glasses, and much more. The depth of his experience in any one domain was admirable, but the breadth of his experience across varied domains was something to behold. In his daily schedule, he dedicated an hour every single morning to learning. As it turns out, this practice is a common thread among the world’s highest achievers. From Elon Musk and Bill Gates to Oprah Winfrey and Warren Buffett, the most professionally successful people all appear to dedicate daily time to learning and growth.
本杰明·富兰克林如果拥有自己的领英个人资料,想必会非常引人注目。他一生缔造了庞大的媒体帝国,参与起草了美国最早的建国文件,还发明了避雷针、双光眼镜等等。他在任何一个领域的深厚造诣都令人钦佩,而他涉猎广泛、经验丰富,更是令人叹为观止。他每天早上都会抽出一个小时学习。事实证明,这种习惯是世界顶尖成功人士的共同特征。从埃隆·马斯克和比尔·盖茨到奥普拉·温弗瑞和沃伦·巴菲特,所有事业最成功的人似乎都坚持每天抽出时间学习和成长。
Fortunately, the science shows that the pursuit of improvement—the ability and willingness to chase your limitless potential—is driven by a mindset rather than an intrinsic aptitude. In other words, this is not reserved for the gifted—anyone can embrace it.
幸运的是,科学研究表明,追求进步——即挖掘自身无限潜能的能力和意愿——并非源于天赋,而是一种思维模式。换句话说,这并非天才的专属——任何人都可以做到。
In 1998, Carol Dweck, then a professor of psychology at Columbia University (and now a professor at Stanford University), published several studies related to her research on the impact of mindset and praise on motivation and outcomes. In one, Dweck and her colleagues administered a series of puzzle tests to four hundred young children. The children who were praised for their intelligence after completing the first puzzle were less likely to choose a challenging puzzle for the next test than their peers who were praised for their effort. In a related study of adolescents, Dweck and her colleagues administered a nonverbal IQ test to a group and again praised the students for either their intelligence (“You must be smart!”) or their effort (“You must have worked really hard!”). The intelligence-praised children performed worse when given a harder set of problems, while the effort-praised children performed better on the second set. Further, those praised for their intelligence subsequently avoided challenging new tasks and even lied about their performance on tasks, while those praised for their effort sought out the challenging tasks as new learning opportunities.
1998年,时任哥伦比亚大学心理学教授(现为斯坦福大学教授)的卡罗尔·德韦克发表了几项研究,探讨心态和表扬对动机和结果的影响。其中一项研究中,德韦克和她的同事对400名幼儿进行了一系列拼图测试。结果发现,在完成第一个拼图后因智力受到表扬的儿童,比因努力受到表扬的同龄人更不愿意在下一个测试中选择具有挑战性的拼图。在另一项针对青少年的相关研究中,德韦克和她的同事对一组青少年进行了非语言智商测试,并再次表扬了他们的智力(“你一定很聪明!”)或努力(“你一定非常努力!”)。结果发现,因智力受到表扬的儿童在面对更难的题目时表现更差,而因努力受到表扬的儿童则表现更好。此外,那些因智力受到表扬的儿童随后会回避具有挑战性的新任务,甚至谎报自己的表现,而那些因努力受到表扬的儿童则会主动寻求具有挑战性的任务,将其视为新的学习机会。
In her international bestseller Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dr. Dweck drew upon her extensive body of research to build a generalized model for how our beliefs about ourselves—in particular the belief in our ability to grow, improve, and change—affect every area of our lives. Dweck summarized, “For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.”
在她的国际畅销书《终身成长:成功的新心理学》中,德韦克博士运用其大量的研究成果,构建了一个通用模型,阐述了我们对自身的信念——尤其是对自身成长、进步和改变能力的信念——如何影响我们生活的方方面面。德韦克总结道:“二十年来,我的研究表明,你对自己的看法会深刻地影响你的人生道路。它决定了你是否能成为你想成为的人,以及你是否能实现你所珍视的目标。”
According to her research, there are two core mindsets:
根据她的研究,存在两种核心思维模式:
The fixed mindset, which assumes ability, intelligence, and character are static
固定型思维模式假定能力、智力和性格是静态的。
The growth mindset, which assumes ability, intelligence, and character are dynamic
成长型思维模式认为能力、智力和性格都是动态的。
The fixed mindset is grounded in the central belief that everything about who you are as an individual is immutable—set in stone. As Dr. Dweck showed through her research, this belief has wide-ranging implications for how you work, live, and even love. The fixed mindset creates a hunger for external affirmation, rewards, and approval, a deep fear of failure and rejection, and a flawed conclusion that if things aren’t good now, they never will be.
固定型思维的核心信念是:你作为个体的一切都是不可改变的,如同石头一样坚硬。正如德韦克博士的研究表明,这种信念对你的工作、生活乃至爱情都产生了广泛的影响。固定型思维会让人渴望获得外部的肯定、奖励和认可,深深地恐惧失败和被拒绝,并得出错误的结论:如果现在情况不好,以后也不会好。
The growth mindset, however, is grounded in the central belief that everything about who you are as an individual is malleable—that sincere effort can cultivate change, growth, and continuous improvement. The growth mindset creates a focus on intrinsic motivation, inputs, and process, an embrace of failure as learning, and a fundamental belief that starting circumstances do not determine final outcomes.
然而,成长型思维的核心信念是,你作为个体的一切都是可塑的——真诚的努力可以带来改变、成长和持续进步。成长型思维注重内在动机、投入和过程,将失败视为学习的机会,并坚信初始条件并不决定最终结果。
Those who adopt a growth mindset are prepared to face life’s inevitable challenges with a positive, optimistic, and resilient outlook. They avoid the pitfalls of tying their identity too closely to a single set of outcomes, instead preferring to ground their identity broadly across their efforts and energy for improvement. They are able to work at things, personally and professionally, because they understand that good things are not immaculately conceived; they are earned through effort. In a world of beautiful imperfection where perfect is reserved for fairy tales, those who believe in their ability to change, who focus on inputs, process, and daily improvement, will always find a way to thrive.
拥有成长型思维的人能够以积极、乐观和坚韧的心态面对人生中不可避免的挑战。他们避免将自我认同与单一结果过度绑定,而是将自我认同建立在为提升自我而付出的努力和精力之上。他们能够在个人和职业生活中不断进步,因为他们明白美好的事物并非天生,而是需要通过努力才能获得。在这个充满美好却并不完美的世界里,完美只存在于童话之中,那些相信自身改变能力、关注投入、过程和日常进步的人,总能找到成功之道。
Mental Wealth is built on this fundamental belief—in the ability to grow, learn, and change—but the belief is just the start. Like Hank Behar attending astronomy classes at Harvard and Phyllis Behar taking painting classes at the local community center, the mentally wealthy act on it every single day.
精神财富建立在这样一种基本信念之上——相信自己有能力成长、学习和改变——但这仅仅是开始。就像汉克·贝哈尔在哈佛大学学习天文学,菲利斯·贝哈尔在当地社区中心学习绘画一样,精神富足的人每天都在践行这种信念。
As Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
正如圣雄甘地的名言:“活到老,学到老。”
The middle-aged monk sat calmly as hundreds of electrical sensors and wires were attached to his face and bald head, his traditional Buddhist red-and-gold robes accentuating the bleached medical whiteness of the 256 sensors.
这位中年僧侣平静地坐着,数百个电子传感器和电线被连接到他的脸和光秃秃的头上,他传统的佛教红金长袍突显了 256 个传感器的漂白医用白色。
Matthieu Ricard earned a PhD in cellular genetics before leaving the academic circuit behind and moving to India to become a Buddhist monk. Along the way, he worked as a French interpreter for the Dalai Lama, became a bestselling author, and won France’s National Order of Merit.
马修·里卡尔在获得细胞遗传学博士学位后,离开了学术界,前往印度成为一名佛教僧侣。在此期间,他曾担任达赖喇嘛的法语翻译,成为畅销书作家,并荣获法国国家功勋勋章。
But his most interesting accomplishment is the one he is most uncomfortable talking about: Matthieu Ricard is the world’s happiest man.
但他最有趣的成就却是他最不愿提及的:马修·里卡德是世界上最幸福的人。
In an early 2000s study on the impact of meditation conducted by University of Wisconsin researchers, psychologist Richard Davidson asked Ricard to meditate while covered in sensors and wires. Dr. Davidson noted that Ricard’s brain produced gamma waves—which are linked to consciousness, attention, learning, and memory—at levels “never reported before in the neuroscience literature.” [7] Further, the monitoring identified increased activity in his left prefrontal cortex compared to his right, which researchers noted might be what gives Ricard a high capacity for happiness. These findings, along with a fair bit of creative journalistic spin, led to Matthieu Ricard being dubbed “the World’s Happiest Man.”
在21世纪初威斯康星大学研究人员进行的一项关于冥想影响的研究中,心理学家理查德·戴维森让马修·里卡德在身上布满传感器和电线的情况下进行冥想。戴维森博士注意到,里卡德的大脑产生了伽马波——这种脑波与意识、注意力、学习和记忆有关——其水平“在神经科学文献中前所未见”。[7] 此外,监测还发现,与右侧相比,里卡德左侧前额叶皮层的活动更为活跃,研究人员认为这可能是里卡德拥有高度幸福感的原因。这些发现,再加上一些富有创意的媒体报道,使得马修·里卡德被冠以“世界上最幸福的人”的称号。
Even though Ricard is not too fond of the moniker (“It’s a good title for journalists to use, but I cannot get rid of it. Maybe on my tomb, it will say, ‘Here lies the happiest person in the world’ ”), the underlying insight should be of interest to everyone. The practice of meditation and, more broadly, of mindfulness led to changes in the brain’s functioning around consciousness, attention, learning, memory, and happiness that may contribute to a healthier, wealthier existence.
尽管里卡德并不太喜欢这个绰号(“这对记者来说是个不错的称号,但我摆脱不了它。也许我的墓碑上会刻着:‘这里长眠着世界上最幸福的人’”),但其背后的洞见应该会引起所有人的兴趣。冥想练习,更广泛地说,正念练习,能够改变大脑在意识、注意力、学习、记忆和幸福感等方面的功能,从而有助于人们拥有更健康、更富足的生活。
But what does this look like for those of us who cannot imagine meditating for twelve hours per day for decades (the common practice among those studied)? What about mindfulness for all of us non-monks?
但对于我们这些无法想象每天冥想十二小时,持续数十年(这是研究对象普遍的做法)的人来说,这又意味着什么呢?对于我们这些非僧侣来说,正念又该如何进行呢?
Paraphrasing a quote of unknown origin often attributed to Viktor Frankl, your power is in the space that exists between stimulus and response. This idea—of creating and leveraging space —is how you can unlock your own monk-like mindfulness.
套用一句出处不明、常被认为是维克多·弗兰克尔所说的话,你的力量就存在于刺激与反应之间的空间。这种创造和利用空间的理念,正是你开启僧侣般冥想之道的途径。
In a world of constant connectedness, space is incredibly rare.
在这个人人互联的世界里,空间显得格外珍贵。
How many times have you gone through a day without feeling a single moment was truly yours? You wake up, grab your phone, get a barrage of messages and notifications, head to work, bounce from meeting to meeting, go home, eat quickly while scanning emails, and go to bed.
你一天中有多少次感觉没有一刻真正属于自己?你醒来,拿起手机,收到一大堆信息和通知,去上班,奔波于各种会议之间,回家,一边快速浏览邮件一边吃饭,然后上床睡觉。
Or how many times have you felt like the shower was the only few minutes of the day that you had to yourself? No phone, no messages, no emails, nothing; just you, your thoughts, and the water. And, relatedly, how many times have you had an “aha moment” while in the shower? That new perspective on a relationship struggle, a creative idea for a business, an unlock on a big work project.
或者,你是不是经常觉得,淋浴是每天唯一属于自己的几分钟?没有手机,没有短信,没有邮件,什么都没有;只有你、你的思绪和淋浴的水。同样地,你是不是也经常在淋浴时灵光一闪?对一段感情纠葛有了新的理解,迸发出了商业创意,或者找到了解决一个重要工作项目的突破口。
This is no accident: Our power is in the space.
这并非偶然:我们的力量在于太空。
Space exists between stimulus and response. Stimulus and response are loud—they involve inputs, action, and outputs. Space is quiet—it is devoid of external inputs and does not require any outputs. It is stillness, solitude. You can create space literally by going to a physical location to be alone and disconnected or metaphorically by going to that location in your mind. The important part is that you go (and regularly).
刺激与反应之间存在着空间。刺激与反应是喧嚣的——它们包含输入、行动和输出。空间是静谧的——它没有外部输入,也不需要任何输出。它是静止,是独处。你可以实际创造空间,比如去一个可以独处、与世隔绝的地方;也可以用比喻的方式,在脑海中进入那个空间。重要的是你要去(并且定期去)。
Space is not lazy—on the contrary, space is rocket fuel for the mind.
太空并非懒惰之物——恰恰相反,太空是激发思维的火箭燃料。
Space is what enables you to think, reset, wrestle with the big, unanswerable questions, manage stressors, and recharge. It is what unlocks you and allows you to listen to your inner voice. It is where ideas connect and mingle in your mind. It is where you are able to think differently, approach problems in interesting new ways, connect spiritually with a higher power, or formulate insights that may change your life.
空间让你得以思考、调整、探讨那些无法解答的重大问题、应对压力并恢复活力。它能让你敞开心扉,聆听内心的声音。在这里,各种想法在你脑海中交汇融合。在这里,你可以换个角度思考,用新颖有趣的方式解决问题,与更高的力量建立精神连接,或者形成可能改变你人生的洞见。
John D. Rockefeller was one of the most successful—and ruthless—businessmen in history. From humble beginnings, Rockefeller built Standard Oil into a gargantuan conglomerate with immense global reach and outsize influence in all manner of world affairs. At the company’s peak, Rockefeller had an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion, a figure that was roughly 3 percent of the U.S. GDP at the time. Rockefeller was known for his tireless work ethic and demanding schedule; it was the only way he was able to remain on top of the incomprehensible web of entities and transactions within his empire.
约翰·D·洛克菲勒是历史上最成功也最冷酷无情的商人之一。他白手起家,将标准石油公司发展成为一个庞大的商业帝国,业务遍及全球,在世界各领域都拥有举足轻重的地位。在公司鼎盛时期,洛克菲勒的净资产估计高达14亿美元,约占当时美国GDP的3%。洛克菲勒以其不知疲倦的工作精神和严苛的工作安排而闻名;唯有如此,他才能掌控其商业帝国中错综复杂的实体和交易网络。
But he also had a curious and noteworthy habit: He could be found every afternoon milling about in his gardens, with no work, books, or notepads in sight. Rockefeller—one of the hardest-working and most powerful men in the world—took multiple daily breaks to simply walk and breathe.
但他还有一个奇特而引人注目的习惯:每天下午,人们都能看到他在花园里漫步,手上既没有工作,也没有书籍或笔记本。洛克菲勒——世界上最勤奋、最有权势的人之一——每天都会抽出好几次时间,只是散步和呼吸新鲜空气。
Now, to be sure, most of us do not aspire to be John D. Rockefeller (for a variety of reasons!), but there is an important point to this story: Space is not about turning your back on your worldly possessions, selling your metaphorical (or literal) Ferrari, and going on a quest to find yourself in the mountains. Space is as simple as finding your version of Rockefeller’s garden—an escape where you can slow down and breathe new air in your life.
当然,我们大多数人并不渴望成为约翰·D·洛克菲勒(原因有很多!),但这个故事有一个重要的意义:太空生活并非意味着放弃世俗的财富,卖掉你的(无论是象征意义上的还是实际意义上的)法拉利,然后去山里寻找自我。太空生活其实很简单,就像找到属于你自己的洛克菲勒花园——一个可以让你放慢脚步、呼吸新鲜空气的世外桃源。
Space is personal and can take many different forms:
空间是私人的,可以呈现多种不同的形式:
Fifteen-minute technology-free walk in the morning
早上进行十五分钟不使用电子产品的散步
Daily prayer practice or reading from a favored religious text
每日祈祷或阅读喜爱的宗教经典
Free-flow journaling in the evening before bed
睡前自由写作
Five-minute breaks between meetings to move around
会议之间有五分钟的休息时间,可以四处走动。
Daily cold plunge or sauna to focus on breathing and the internal voice
每天进行冷水浸泡或桑拿,以专注于呼吸和内心的声音。
Workouts, runs, or bike rides with light music
伴着轻音乐进行锻炼、跑步或骑自行车
Active or passive meditation rituals
主动或被动冥想仪式
A spiritual gathering
一场灵性聚会
The point: No matter who you are, where you are, or what you’re doing, you can embrace the power found in the space of your personal mental garden—no monk’s vows required.
重点是:无论你是谁,身在何处,或在做什么,你都可以拥抱你个人精神花园空间中蕴藏的力量——无需僧侣的誓言。
With an established understanding of the three pillars, we can move to the Mental Wealth Guide, which provides the specific tools and systems to build on these pillars and cultivate a life of Mental Wealth.
在对这三大支柱有了充分的了解之后,我们可以进入精神财富指南,该指南提供了具体的工具和系统,以建立在这些支柱之上,并培养精神财富的生活。
The Mental Wealth Guide that follows provides specific high-leverage systems to build each of the pillars of a life of Mental Wealth. This isn’t one-size-fits-all and you shouldn’t feel compelled to read every single one; browse through and select those that feel most relevant and useful to you.
接下来的《精神财富指南》提供了一些具体的、高效的系统,帮助你构建精神财富生活的各个支柱。这并非一成不变的模式,你也不必非得阅读每一条;浏览并选择那些对你来说最相关、最有用的部分即可。
As you consider and execute the systems for success provided in the Mental Wealth Guide, use your responses to each Mental Wealth statement from the Wealth Score quiz to narrow your focus to the areas where you need to make the most progress (those where you responded strongly disagree, disagree, or neutral ).
在您考虑并执行《精神财富指南》中提供的成功系统时,请使用您在财富评分测验中对每项精神财富陈述的回答,将您的注意力集中在您需要取得最大进步的领域(您回答“强烈不同意”、“不同意”或“中立”的领域)。
I regularly embrace a childlike curiosity.
我经常保持着孩子般的好奇心。
I have a clear purpose that provides daily meaning and aligns short- and long-term decision making.
我有一个明确的目标,它赋予我每天的生活意义,并使我的短期和长期决策保持一致。
I pursue growth and consistently chase my full potential.
我追求成长,并不断努力发挥我的全部潜力。
I have a fundamental belief that I am able to continuously change, develop, and adapt.
我坚信自己能够不断改变、发展和适应。
I have regular rituals that allow me to create space to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge.
我有一些固定的仪式,让我能够腾出空间思考、调整状态、思考问题并恢复精力。
A few common Mental Wealth anti-goals to avoid on your journey:
在追求精神财富的道路上,应避免以下几种常见的错误目标:
Failing to connect with a purpose bigger than myself
无法与超越自我的目标建立联系
Giving up on all learning that does not provide direct financial utility
放弃所有不能直接带来经济效益的学习。
Losing all the space in my life as I pursue new activities and growth
当我追求新的活动和成长时,我生活中的空间正在逐渐消失。
Here are ten proven systems for building Mental Wealth.
以下是十种行之有效的构建精神财富的方法。
1. Mental Wealth Hacks I Wish I Knew at Twenty-Two
1. 我希望22岁时就知道的心理财富秘诀
2. The Power of Ikigai | Purpose
2. 生き甲斐的力量 | 目的
3. 探索路线图 | 目的
4. The Feynman Technique | Growth
4. 费曼技巧 | 成长
5. The Spaced-Repetition Method | Growth
5. 间隔重复法 | 增长
6. The Socratic Method | Growth and Space
6. 苏格拉底教学法 | 成长与空间
7. The Think Day | Growth and Space
7. 思考日 | 成长与空间
8. 活力漫步 | 空间
9. The Personal Power-Down Ritual | Space
9. 个人关机仪式 | 空间
10. The 1-1-1 Journaling Method | Space
10. 一对一日记法 | 空间
A collaboration with Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole.
与《纽约时报》畅销书《安静的力量:内向者在喧嚣世界中的生存之道》和《苦乐参半:悲伤与渴望如何让我们完整》的作者苏珊·凯恩合作。
Your purpose in life does not have to be related to what you do for work. Your purpose in life does not have to be grand or ambitious. Your purpose in life simply has to be yours.
你的人生目标不必与你的工作相关。你的人生目标不必宏大或雄心勃勃。你的人生目标只需是你自己的目标即可。
The secret to life is to put yourself in the right lighting. For some, it’s a Broadway spotlight; for others, a lamplit desk. Use your natural powers of persistence, concentration, and insight to do work you love and work that matters. Solve problems, make art, think deeply.
人生的秘诀在于找到适合自己的光线。对有些人来说,那是百老汇的聚光灯;对另一些人来说,则是灯光昏暗的书桌。运用你与生俱来的毅力、专注力和洞察力,去做你热爱且有意义的工作。解决问题,创作艺术,深入思考。
There’s zero correlation between being the best talker and having the best ideas.
口才最好和创意最好之间没有任何关联。
Choose one creative project at a time and do it as well and as deeply as you possibly can.
一次只选择一个创意项目,尽你所能做到最好、最深入。
We know from myths and fairy tales that there are many different kinds of powers in this world. One child is given a lightsaber, another a wizard’s education. The trick is not to amass all the different kinds of power but to use well the kind you’ve been granted.
我们从神话和童话故事中得知,这个世界上存在着许多不同的力量。有的孩子得到了一把光剑,有的孩子接受了巫师的教育。关键不在于积累所有种类的力量,而在于善用你所拥有的力量。
Reflecting on the past is a good way to fuel your growth, but dwelling on the past is a good way to inhibit it. Most people are inclined to either reflection or action. But we all need some of both.
反思过去是促进成长的好方法,但沉湎过去则会阻碍成长。大多数人倾向于反思或行动,但两者都不可或缺。
Neuroplasticity suggests that experiences can fundamentally alter the structure and function of your brain. Your actions and movements can shape your physical, mental, and spiritual reality. You have that power within you.
神经可塑性表明,经历可以从根本上改变大脑的结构和功能。你的行为和举动可以塑造你的生理、心理和精神现实。你自身就拥有这种力量。
If you want to get better at anything, do it for thirty minutes per day for thirty straight days. It’s easy to over-engineer progress; a little dedicated effort each day is all you need. Nine hundred minutes of accumulated effort is enough for you to make dramatic improvements in literally anything.
如果你想在任何方面有所进步,那就每天坚持30分钟,连续30天。很容易过度设计进步;其实每天只需投入一点时间就足够了。累计900分钟的努力足以让你在任何方面取得显著进步。
Solitude matters, and for some people, it’s the air they breathe.
独处很重要,对某些人来说,独处就像呼吸的空气一样不可或缺。
We put too much of a premium on presenting and not enough on substance and critical thinking.
我们过于重视表达方式,而忽视了实质内容和批判性思维。
When you’re trying to learn something new, attempt to teach it to a friend or family member. See what questions they ask and how those questions expose the gaps in your knowledge. Study more to fill in those gaps. The act of teaching is the most powerful form of learning.
当你尝试学习新知识时,不妨试着教给朋友或家人。看看他们会问什么问题,以及这些问题如何暴露出你知识上的不足。然后,继续学习,弥补这些知识漏洞。教学相长是学习最有效的方式。
At school you might have been prodded to come out of your shell, a noxious expression that fails to appreciate that some animals naturally carry shelter everywhere they go and some humans are just the same.
在学校里,你可能被敦促要走出自己的舒适圈,这种说法令人反感,因为它忽略了有些动物天生就喜欢把自己包裹起来,而有些人也是如此。
Take yourself out for a meal alone once each month. Carry a notebook and pen, bring your favorite book, and leave your phone in your bag. Let your mind run free.
每月独自外出用餐一次。带上笔记本和笔,带上你最喜欢的书,把手机放在包里。让你的思绪自由驰骋。
The quest to transform pain into beauty is one of the great catalysts of artistic expression.
将痛苦转化为美的追求是艺术表达的伟大催化剂之一。
Stop trying to remember things and just write everything down. Use your phone notes app—or, better yet, carry a small pocket notebook and pen. The old-fashioned way still works wonders.
别再试图记住所有事情了,直接写下来。用手机备忘录应用——或者,更好的办法是,随身携带一个小笔记本和笔。老方法依然非常有效。
Write down three things you’re grateful for every single night before you go to bed. Say one of them out loud every single morning when you wake up.
每天晚上睡觉前,写下三件让你心存感激的事情。每天早上醒来后,大声说出其中一件。
Don’t consume the news unless you’re highly confident it will matter one month from now. Consuming more news has become a reliable way to understand less about the world. Focus on smaller doses of high-signal content, not the constant drip of Breaking news! that has become the standard of the industry.
除非你非常确信某个新闻在一个月后仍然重要,否则不要轻易阅读。如今,阅读新闻越多,反而越让人对世界了解得越少。与其沉迷于行业惯用的“突发新闻”,不如专注于少量但有价值的信息。
Turn whatever pain you can’t get rid of into your creative offering.
把你无法摆脱的痛苦转化为你的创作灵感。
Creativity has the power to look pain in the eye and turn it into something else.
创造力能够直面痛苦,并将其转化为其他东西。
You may read thousands of books in your life, but there will be only a few that deeply change you. Reread them every single year. Your experience with the book will change as you do—you’ll get new perspectives. And doing this will remind you of how you can fall in love with the same thing (or person) over and over again.
你一生中或许会读成千上万本书,但真正能深刻改变你的却寥寥无几。每年重读这些书吧。随着你的成长,你对书的理解也会随之改变——你会获得新的视角。而这样做会让你明白,你为何能一次又一次地爱上同一个人或事物。
The legendary centenarians of Okinawa, Japan, use the concept of ikigai to define their life purpose. You can use the concept with a simple exercise to begin to explore yours as well.
日本冲绳的百岁老人以“ikigai”(生き甲斐)的概念来定义他们的人生目标。你也可以通过一个简单的练习来探索自己的人生目标。
Your ikigai —your life purpose—sits at the center of the three overlapping circles:
你的“ikigai”(人生意义)——你的人生目标——位于三个重叠圆圈的中心:
What you love: The activities that are life-giving
你所热爱的:那些赋予生命活力的活动。
What you are good at: The activities that feel effortless
你擅长的事:那些让你感觉毫不费力的事
What the world needs: The activities that your current world needs from you
世界需要什么:你所处的世界需要你做些什么
On a blank sheet of paper, write down your answers to the following questions:
请在一张白纸上写下下列问题的答案:
What you love: What activities or responsibilities create joy in your life? What were you doing in the moments when you felt the most natural happiness? Make a list of the activities that are life-giving.
你热爱的事物:哪些活动或责任能给你的生活带来快乐?当你感到最自然、最幸福的时刻,你在做什么?列出那些让你充满活力的活动。
What you are good at: What feels effortless to you that may be difficult for others? Where do your natural and acquired skills stand out? What do other people seem to recognize as your attributes or skills? Make a list of the activities that you have unique competency in.
你的优势:哪些事情对你来说毫不费力,但对其他人来说却可能很困难?你的天赋和后天习得的技能有哪些突出之处?其他人认为你的特质或技能是什么?列出你独具优势的活动。
What the world needs: What activities does your world need from you in this season of life? How you define your world will vary across the seasons. Your world may be defined narrowly by the inner circle of yourself and your family at certain points, by the broader circle of your community at others, and by the broadest circle of the actual world. In the most common arc, the definition of world starts out narrow, grows wider over time, and then ends narrow. It may begin focused on the self and family in the earlier years, expand to focus on the community and grander scale in the middle years, and then go back to the self and family in the later years. When you have fulfilled the needs of your current world, you feel free to expand that definition on to the next level. This is a fundamental reason why financially successful people who were driven by a purpose to provide for their families in their early years will likely need to adjust to a broader world to maintain a sense of clear purpose. Define your current world and make a list of the activities that it needs from you.
世界需要什么:在人生的这个阶段,你的世界需要你做些什么?你对世界的定义会随着人生阶段而变化。在某些阶段,你的世界可能狭义地局限于你和你的家人;在其他阶段,它可能更广义地涵盖你的社区;而到了晚年,它又会延伸到整个世界。最常见的轨迹是,世界的定义起初狭义,随着时间的推移而扩展,最终又回归狭义。它可能在早年聚焦于自身和家庭,在中年扩展到社区和更宏大的层面,然后在晚年又回归到自身和家庭。当你满足了当前世界的需求后,你就可以自由地将世界的定义扩展到下一个层面。这正是为什么那些早年以养家糊口为目标,如今经济上取得成功的人,往往需要调整到更广阔的世界,才能保持清晰的目标感。定义你当前的世界,并列出它需要你做些什么。
The intersection of the three lists is a strong starting point for you to explore and uncover your higher-order life purpose. Remember that your purpose does not need to be connected to your profession. Work through the exercise and you’ll be well on your way to harnessing the power of ikigai, just as the Okinawans have.
这三个清单的交集是你探索和发现更高层次人生目标的绝佳起点。记住,你的目标不必与你的职业相关。认真完成这个练习,你就能像冲绳人一样,逐渐掌握“生き甲斐”(ikigai)的力量。
How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. What we do with this hour, and that one, is what we are doing.
—Annie Dillard, The Writing Life
我们如何度过每一天,当然就等于我们如何度过一生。我们如何利用这一小时,如何度过那一小时,就是我们正在做的事情。——安妮·迪拉德,《写作人生》
Your time here is finite, so choosing the pursuits—personal and professional—that deliver the greatest returns on that time is essential.
你在这里的时间是有限的,所以选择那些能为你带来最大回报的个人和职业追求至关重要。
You’ll come across a lot of advice that says to follow your interests and passions, but I’ve always found that guidance to be a bit tricky. What do those words— interests and passions —really mean? I don’t know about you, but I tend to lie to myself and say that I have an interest in things that I’m good at, so interest can be deceiving. And passion is a heavy term, one that I’m never fully convinced I’m applying correctly when it comes to my life.
你会经常听到“追随你的兴趣和热情”这样的建议,但我一直觉得这种说法有点儿难以捉摸。兴趣和热情这两个词到底是什么意思呢?我不知道你怎么想,但我常常自欺欺人,说我对擅长的事情感兴趣,所以兴趣有时会骗人。而热情这个词意义重大,我始终无法确定自己是否真正正确地运用了它。
My solution: I focus on energy, not interests or passions. Follow your energy, because it is the truly scarce resource. When you have energy for something, you go deep on it, you push to grow, you gain life from it. It fuels you.
我的解决方法:我专注于能量,而不是兴趣或热情。追随你的能量,因为它才是真正稀缺的资源。当你对某件事充满能量时,你会深入钻研,努力成长,从中汲取生命力。它会为你提供动力。
So as you contemplate the grand question of your life—how should I spend my time?—energy should take center stage in your consideration. I use an exercise I call pursuit mapping to identify the pursuits that are most likely to bring joy and outsize rewards into my life.
所以,当你思考人生中的重大问题——我应该如何度过我的时间?——时,精力应该成为你考虑的核心。我使用一种叫做“追求地图”的练习来识别那些最有可能为我的生活带来快乐和巨大回报的追求。
Here’s how it works (and how you can use it to change your life):
它的工作原理如下(以及如何利用它来改变你的生活):
The pursuit map is a blank two-by-two matrix with competency level (from low to high competency) on the x-axis and energy (from energy-draining to energy-creating) on the y-axis.
追求图是一个空白的二乘二矩阵,x 轴表示能力水平(从低到高),y 轴表示能量(从消耗能量到创造能量)。
I define the terms as follows:
我将这些术语定义如下:
Energy-creating: A pursuit that creates energy in your life; these activities leave you feeling energized—they fill your cup.
创造能量:指那些能为你的生活创造能量的追求;这些活动会让你感到精力充沛——它们能让你充满活力。
Energy-draining: A pursuit that drains energy from your life; these activities leave you feeling drained—they empty your cup.
消耗精力:指那些消耗你生活精力的活动;这些活动会让你感到精疲力竭——它们会耗尽你的精力。
High competency: A pursuit at which you are skilled; these activities feel effortless.
高水平能力:指你擅长的领域;从事这些活动对你来说毫不费力。
Low competency: A pursuit at which you are a novice; these activities feel challenging.
能力不足:你对某项活动还不熟悉,感觉很有挑战性。
The first step is to place pursuits—both personal and professional—onto this matrix. For the purposes of this exercise, pursuits can be broadly defined (for example, strategy consulting) or specific (for example, market research). This step should include both pursuits you are currently engaged in and those that you may attempt in the future.
第一步是将个人和职业方面的追求目标都列入这个矩阵中。为了便于说明,追求目标可以宽泛定义(例如,战略咨询),也可以具体定义(例如,市场调研)。这一步应该包括你目前正在从事的追求目标,以及你将来可能尝试的追求目标。
For pursuits that you are currently engaged in:
对于您目前正在从事的活动:
Establish energy: How do you feel while engaged in the pursuit? How do you feel after? Do you find the pursuit life-giving?
建立能量:你在追求目标的过程中感觉如何?目标完成后感觉如何?你觉得追求目标能让你充满活力吗?
Assess competency: What is your view on your competency level? Ask others who have worked with you on this pursuit for their honest perspectives on your competency level.
评估能力:您如何看待自己的能力水平?请与您一起从事这项工作的其他人对您能力水平的真实看法。
Based on your responses and those gathered from others, place each current pursuit on the grid according to the energy and competency levels.
根据你的回答和从其他人那里收集到的回答,根据能量和能力水平,将你当前正在追求的每项事物放在网格上。
For pursuits that you are not currently engaged in:
对于你目前未从事的事业:
Gather information: Talk to people who are engaged in these pursuits. Ask them about the details of the pursuits to create a baseline estimate of your energy. Remember that the surface-level view of a pursuit may not be accurate—you might think being a lawyer seems great, but are you basing that on the television version of the role or on the actual day-to-day work that is required? Seek to understand the true underlying details of the day-to-day in a given pursuit, not just the surface-level information.
收集信息:与从事这些职业的人交谈。询问他们相关工作的细节,以便对自身精力投入有一个大致的评估。记住,对一项职业的表面印象可能并不准确——你或许觉得当律师很棒,但你的印象是基于电视剧里的形象,还是基于实际的日常工作?努力了解特定职业日常工作的真正细节,而不仅仅是表面信息。
Experiment: Choosing the right pursuits involves experimentation. Learn more about your energy for a given activity or pursuit by spending a day engaged in it. Shadow someone to test it out; take on the new role on a trial basis. Gather deeper information through small, reversible actions.
实验:选择合适的追求需要不断尝试。花一天时间投入到某项活动或追求中,了解自己在这方面的精力水平。可以跟随他人学习,进行测试;也可以尝试承担新的角色。通过小的、可逆的行动来收集更深入的信息。
Assume low competency: With any new pursuit or activity, it is fair to assume you will start out with a low (or modest) competency level. Until you generate evidence to prove otherwise, this is the safe assumption.
假设自身能力较低:对于任何新的追求或活动,假设你一开始的能力水平较低(或一般)是合理的。在你找到证据证明自己能力不足之前,这是一个稳妥的假设。
Based on the information gathered from discussions and experimentation, place each prospective pursuit on the grid according to the energy and competency levels.
根据讨论和实验收集的信息,将每项潜在的追求按照能量和能力水平放在网格上。
With a populated pursuit map, you can proceed to step 2.
有了已填充的追击地图,就可以进行步骤 2 了。
There are three key zones to consider on your pursuit map:
在规划路线图时,需要考虑三个关键区域:
Zone of Genius: In his 2010 book The Big Leap, author Gay Hendricks proposed the novel idea of the Zone of Genius, defined as the range of pursuits where you have excellent competency and high interest or passion. In the context of my pursuit-map matrix, I’d consider the Zone of Genius as the top right quadrant, where your competency and energy collide. This is your promised land, the sweet spot of pursuits where you will ideally spend most of your time, both professional and personal.
天赋区:盖伊·亨德里克斯在其2010年出版的《大跃进》一书中提出了“天赋区”这一新颖的概念,将其定义为你拥有卓越能力和高度兴趣或热情的一系列追求领域。在我的追求地图矩阵中,我会将天赋区视为右上象限,即你的能力和精力在此交汇的区域。这片区域是你的理想之地,是你最应该投入大部分时间(无论工作还是生活)的追求领域。
Zone of Hobby: This is the range of pursuits that create energy in your life but in which you have a lower competency level. This is where you would ideally spend the second biggest chunk of your time. It’s okay for certain pursuits to remain in this Zone of Hobby (it’s okay to be bad at things!), but you will find that pursuits for which you feel a lot of energy tend to slowly shift to the right as you improve at them. Pursuits that start in the Zone of Hobby often end up in the Zone of Genius over time.
兴趣领域:这指的是那些能为你的生活带来活力,但你能力尚不成熟的活动。理想情况下,你应该把第二大块时间投入到这些活动中。某些活动可以一直停留在兴趣领域(毕竟,不擅长某些事情也无妨!),但你会发现,那些让你充满热情的活动,随着你能力的提升,往往会慢慢地向右移动。那些始于兴趣领域的活动,最终往往会进入你的天赋领域。
Zone of Danger: This is the range of pursuits that drain your energy but in which you have a higher competency level. It is a dangerous place to spend your time because you will be given positive feedback on your performance and feel tempted to spend more of your time here as a result. The goal is to avoid the trap of these activities or find ways to make them more energy-creating for your life.
危险区:这指的是那些消耗你大量精力,但你又非常擅长的活动。把时间浪费在这里很危险,因为你会得到积极的反馈,从而更容易沉迷其中,不愿投入更多时间。目标是避免陷入这些活动的陷阱,或者找到方法让它们为你的生活带来更多能量。
Note: The bottom left quadrant is what I would consider the dead zone, in that pursuits here should generally be avoided due to being energy-draining and low competency. That being said, there are instances where something becomes energy-creating as you improve at it (for example, many novice runners fall in love with running as they improve their fitness), so writing off these pursuits completely may be a bad idea.
注:左下象限是我所认为的“死亡区”,因为这里的活动通常应该避免,它们既耗费精力又效率低下。话虽如此,有些活动在你不断进步的过程中反而会激发你的能量(例如,许多跑步新手在体能提升后会爱上跑步),所以完全放弃这些活动可能并非明智之举。
To assess the likelihood of a pursuit becoming energy-creating as your competency improves, ask yourself, “Do I love the good version of this?” In other words, if you imagine yourself at a modest or improved competency level at the pursuit, does it give you energy?
为了评估随着能力的提高,某项追求是否能为你带来能量,问问自己:“我喜欢它达到理想状态吗?”换句话说,如果你想象自己在这项追求中达到中等或更高的能力水平,它会给你带来能量吗?
By placing the various pursuits on the map and identifying your core zones, you’ve developed a picture of the pursuits on which you should aim to spend your time.
通过将各种活动安排在地图上并确定你的核心领域,你就描绘出了你应该把时间花在哪些活动上的图景。
The changes won’t happen overnight; the goal is to slowly work toward incremental improvements:
这些改变不会在一夜之间发生;目标是循序渐进地进行改进:
Most of your time is spent on pursuits in your Zone of Genius.
你的大部分时间都花在了你最擅长的领域。
Your remaining time is spent on pursuits in your Zone of Hobby.
剩余时间用于从事你的兴趣爱好领域内的活动。
Minimize the time spent on pursuits in your Zone of Danger.
尽量减少在危险区域内进行追逐活动的时间。
Eliminate the time spent on pursuits in the dead zone (with the exception of those that survive the test in the prior note).
消除在死亡区域进行追逐所花费的时间(前文中提到的那些通过考验的人除外)。
If you work in a company, the best approach is to have a clear, candid conversation with your teams and managers about your pursuit map and zones. If you are in a leadership role, encourage the full team to conduct a similar exercise—with everyone’s pursuit map, it becomes easier to piece the puzzle together. If you’re running into a wall with a company or manager who fails to recognize your perspectives, it may be time for a change. The market will eventually determine which companies survive by allowing for the free flow of talent to the places that allow employees to thrive in their highest form and function.
如果你在公司工作,最好的方法是与你的团队和经理就你的职业发展规划和发展区域进行清晰坦诚的对话。如果你担任领导职务,鼓励整个团队进行类似的练习——有了每个人的职业发展规划,就更容易把所有信息整合起来。如果你遇到公司或经理不理解你的观点,或许是时候做出改变了。市场最终会决定哪些公司能够生存下来,因为它们允许人才自由流动,让员工能够充分发挥自身潜力,在最需要的地方蓬勃发展。
If you work on your own, be honest with yourself about what daily activities and pursuits fall into what zones. Be ruthless in outsourcing to maximize the time you spend in your Zone of Genius. Your results and performance will improve in line with your ability.
如果你是独立工作,要诚实地评估自己的日常活动和追求分别属于哪些领域。在外包方面要果断,最大限度地利用时间发挥自己的优势。你的工作成果和绩效会随着能力的提升而提高。
Choosing the right pursuits is a direct path to a more purpose-filled, fulfilling, productive, and successful life. Learn to follow your energy and you won’t be led astray. Conduct the pursuit-map exercise and slowly start to work toward a world where your time is invested in the pursuits that provide the greatest rewards.
选择正确的追求是通往更有意义、更充实、更高效、更成功的人生的捷径。学会跟随你的能量,你就不会误入歧途。进行“追求地图”练习,逐步构建一个将时间投入到能带来最大回报的追求中的世界。
Richard Feynman was an American theoretical physicist born in 1918 in New York City. Feynman was a very late talker—he didn’t utter a word until he was three—but it was clear even when he was young that he was extremely observant and intelligent. His parents valued non-consensus thinking; they constantly encouraged young Richard to ask questions and think independently. Feynman taught himself advanced mathematics in his teens and went on to earn a BS from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a PhD from Princeton University. He became famous for his work in quantum electrodynamics and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1965 for his contributions to the field.
理查德·费曼是一位美国理论物理学家,1918年出生于纽约市。费曼很晚才开口说话——直到三岁才开口说话——但即使在他年幼时,人们也清楚地看到他极其敏锐的观察力和过人的智慧。他的父母重视独立思考,不断鼓励小费曼提问和独立思考。费曼在十几岁时自学了高等数学,后来获得了麻省理工学院的理学学士学位和普林斯顿大学的博士学位。他因在量子电动力学领域的研究而闻名,并于1965年因其在该领域的贡献而荣获诺贝尔物理学奖。
Richard Feynman was certainly intelligent. But there are a lot of intelligent people in the world. Feynman’s true genius was his ability to convey complex ideas in simple, elegant ways. He observed that complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.
理查德·费曼当然很聪明。但世界上聪明人很多。费曼真正的过人之处在于他能用简洁优雅的方式阐述复杂的概念。他观察到,人们常常用复杂晦涩的术语来掩盖对事物理解的不足。
The Feynman technique is a learning model that leverages teaching and prioritizes simplicity to help you develop a deep understanding of any topic.
费曼教学法是一种学习模型,它利用教学方法,并优先考虑简洁性,帮助你深入理解任何主题。
It involves four key steps:
它包含四个关键步骤:
Set the stage.
做好铺垫。
Teach.
教。
Assess and study.
评估和研究。
Organize, convey, and review.
组织、传达和审查。
Let’s cover each step:
让我们逐一介绍:
Write down the topic you want to learn about at the top of a blank page and jot down everything you know about it.
在一张空白纸的顶部写下你想学习的主题,然后把你了解的关于这个主题的一切都记下来。
Begin the research and learning process on the topic:
开始对该主题进行研究和学习:
Listen to lectures.
听讲座。
Read.
读。
Watch videos.
观看视频。
Discuss with others.
与他人讨论。
Practice by doing.
通过实践来练习。
Start broad, then go deep.
先铺开,再深入。
Attempt to teach the topic to someone without a base understanding of it. This can be a friend, partner, colleague, or classmate. The only requirement is that it is someone you would consider uninitiated in the topic.
尝试向一个完全不了解这个主题的人讲解它。这个人可以是朋友、伴侣、同事或同学。唯一的要求是,他/她必须是你认为对这个主题一无所知的人。
This step requires you to distill and simplify the learning. Avoid jargon and acronyms.
这一步骤要求你提炼和简化学习内容。避免使用术语和缩略语。
Note: If you don’t have a person to teach, do this on another blank page. Write down everything you know about your topic, but pretend you are explaining it to a child. Use simple language.
注意:如果没有人可以教你,请在另一张空白纸上完成。写下你所了解的关于这个主题的所有内容,但要想象你是在给一个孩子讲解。使用简单的语言。
Ask for feedback and reflect on your performance to form an honest assessment:
寻求反馈并反思自己的表现,以形成客观的评价:
How well were you able to explain the topic to the uninitiated person?
你向这位对这个话题一无所知的人解释得如何?
What questions did the person ask?
那个人问了哪些问题?
Where did you get frustrated?
你在哪里感到沮丧?
Where did you turn to jargon?
你为什么突然开始用行话了?
Your answers to these questions will highlight the gaps in your understanding.
你对这些问题的回答将凸显你理解上的不足。
Return to step 1 and study more to fill them in.
返回步骤 1,继续学习以填写它们。
Organize your elegant, simple understanding of the topic into a clear, compelling story or narrative. Convey it to a few others, then repeat and refine accordingly. Review your new, deep understanding of the topic.
将你对主题简洁明了的理解组织成一个清晰、引人入胜的故事或叙述。向几个人讲解一遍,然后根据反馈进行修改和完善。回顾你对主题的全新、深刻的理解。
The Feynman technique is a powerful framework for learning anything. The best entrepreneurs, investors, and thinkers have leveraged this technique whether they know it or not! Their common genius is the ability to break through the complexity and convey ideas in simple, digestible ways.
费曼技巧是一个强大的学习框架,适用于学习任何事物。最优秀的企业家、投资者和思想家都运用过这种技巧,无论他们是否意识到这一点!他们的共同天赋在于能够突破复杂性,用简单易懂的方式传达思想。
It’s easy to overcomplicate and intimidate—we all know people who do this. But don’t be fooled; complexity and jargon are often used to mask a lack of deep understanding.
把事情复杂化、吓唬人很容易——我们都认识这样的人。但别被骗了;复杂的说法和晦涩的术语往往是为了掩盖缺乏深入理解。
Use the Feynman technique: Find beauty in simplicity.
运用费曼技巧:在简洁中发现美。
Spaced repetition leverages cognitive science to help you retain new information. It plays on the way our brains work to convert short-term to long-term memory. With spaced repetition, information is consumed at increasing intervals until it’s committed to long-term memory.
间隔重复法利用认知科学原理来帮助你记住新信息。它利用了我们大脑将短期记忆转化为长期记忆的机制。通过间隔重复法,信息以逐渐增加的间隔被吸收,直到最终被存入长期记忆。
German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus was the first to identify the effect of spaced repetition on memory retention. In an 1885 paper, he formulated the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (EFC). The EFC maps the exponential loss of newly learned information.
德国心理学家赫尔曼·艾宾浩斯最早发现了间隔重复对记忆保持的影响。他在1885年发表的一篇论文中提出了艾宾浩斯遗忘曲线(EFC)。EFC描绘了新学习信息呈指数级衰减的过程。
Ebbinghaus observed that each time the newly learned information was reviewed, the EFC was reset at the starting point but with a slower decay. The spaced repetitions had the effect of flattening the memory-retention decay curve.
艾宾浩斯观察到,每次复习新学的信息时,有效功能曲线(EFC)都会重置到初始点,但衰减速度会减慢。间隔重复练习能够使记忆保持衰减曲线趋于平缓。
Why does this work? Think of your brain as a muscle—each repetition is a flex of that muscle. By steadily increasing the intervals between reps, you are pushing the muscle with a steadily more challenging load. You’re forcing the retention muscle to grow.
为什么这种方法有效?把你的大脑想象成一块肌肉——每一次重复动作都是这块肌肉的一次收缩。通过逐步增加重复动作之间的间隔,你就是在用越来越大的负荷来刺激这块肌肉。你实际上是在迫使负责记忆的肌肉生长。
Here’s how to implement the spaced-repetition method:
以下是如何实现间隔重复法:
Let’s imagine you consume some new information at 8:00 a.m .
假设你在早上 8 点获取了一些新信息。
Now you start the repetitions:
现在开始重复练习:
Repetition 1: 9:00 a.m. (one hour later)
重复1:上午9:00(一小时后)
Repetition 2: 12:00 p.m. (three hours later)
重复2:下午12:00(三小时后)
Repetition 3: 6:00 p.m. (six hours later)
重复3:下午6:00(六小时后)
Repetition 4: 6:00 a.m. (twelve hours later)
重复4:早上6:00(12小时后)
And so on. The memory is reinforced at increasing intervals. Next time you’re trying to retain new information, use the science-backed spaced-repetition method. It works.
以此类推。记忆会以越来越长的间隔得到强化。下次你想记住新信息时,不妨试试这种有科学依据的间隔重复记忆法。它真的有效。
In 2009, Stanford business professor Tina Seelig wrote about an interesting experiment she conducted in her book What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20. Seelig split her class into fourteen teams and gave them all a challenge: Each group would get five dollars of seed funding and have two hours to make as much money as possible. At the end of the challenge, each group would give a short presentation to the class on their approach and results.
2009年,斯坦福大学商学院教授蒂娜·西利格(Tina Seelig)在其著作《我希望20岁时就知道的事》(What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20)中,讲述了她进行的一项有趣的实验。西利格将她的学生分成14个小组,并给他们布置了一个挑战:每个小组获得5美元的启动资金,并在两小时内尽可能多地赚钱。挑战结束后,每个小组都要向全班同学做一个简短的汇报,介绍他们的策略和结果。
When given this challenge, most respondents will take a linear, logical approach, such as bartering. These options would generate a modest return on the five dollars of seed capital.
面对这一挑战,大多数受访者会采取线性、逻辑性的方法,例如以物易物。这些方法能为五美元的启动资金带来适度的回报。
A few groups in the original experiment ignored the five dollars altogether and instead thought up ways to make as much money as possible in the two hours of allotted time:
在最初的实验中,有一些小组完全忽略了五美元的奖励,而是想方设法在两个小时的限定时间内尽可能多地赚钱:
Made and sold reservations at the best restaurants in town
在城里最好的餐厅预订并售票
Refilled bike tires in the center of campus for a dollar each
校园中心提供自行车轮胎充气服务,每个轮胎只需一美元。
These groups made a better return on their initial five dollars.
这些团体从最初的五美元投资中获得了更好的回报。
The winning group also ignored the money, but they took an entirely different approach. They recognized that the most valuable asset was not the money or the two hours they were given for the challenge but the presentation time in front of a class of Stanford students. Internalizing the value of this asset, they sold the presentation time to a company looking to recruit Stanford students for $650, netting a monstrous return on the $5 of initial capital.
获胜小组同样忽略了奖金,但他们采取了截然不同的方法。他们意识到,最有价值的资产并非奖金或挑战赛规定的两小时时间,而是在斯坦福大学学生面前进行展示的机会。他们充分认识到这一资产的价值,并以650美元的价格将展示时间卖给了一家正在招募斯坦福学生的公司,从而获得了远超5美元初始投资的回报。
The losing groups thought in linear, logical terms and achieved a linear, logical outcome. The winning group thought differently.
失败的团队思维线性、逻辑化,最终也得到了线性、逻辑化的结果。而获胜的团队则采用了不同的思维方式。
Socratic questioning (or the Socratic method) is a process of asking and answering questions that stimulate critical thinking to expose and vet underlying assumptions and logic.
苏格拉底式提问(或苏格拉底方法)是一种通过提问和回答问题来激发批判性思维,从而揭露和检验潜在假设和逻辑的过程。
To put it into action, follow this general structure:
要付诸实践,请遵循以下一般结构:
Start with open-ended questions.
先从开放式问题开始。
Propose ideas based on these questions.
根据这些问题提出想法。
Probe these ideas with progressive questioning.
用循序渐进的提问方式来探究这些想法。
Repeat until the best ideas are developed.
重复此过程,直到产生最佳方案为止。
Here’s how you can apply Socratic questioning to think differently:
以下是如何运用苏格拉底式提问法进行不同思考的方法:
Start asking questions: What’s the problem you are trying to solve? We often waste time and energy trying to solve the wrong problem. Identify the right problem before you try to solve it. For the students in the business school class, the wrong problem was how to use the five dollars to make the most money; the right problem was how to make the most money given the time allotted for the exercise.
首先要问问题:你试图解决的问题是什么?我们常常浪费时间和精力去解决错误的问题。在尝试解决问题之前,先确定正确的问题。对于商学院的学生来说,错误的问题是如何利用五美元赚到最多的钱;正确的问题是如何在规定的时间内赚到最多的钱。
Propose your current thinking on the problem: What is your hypothesis? What are the origins of that thinking?
请提出你目前对该问题的看法:你的假设是什么?这种看法源于何处?
Open the floor for targeted questioning: Why do you think this? Is the thinking too vague? What is it based on?
开放提问环节:你为什么这么想?这种想法是否过于笼统?它的依据是什么?
Challenge the assumptions underlying the original thinking: Why do you believe this to be true? How do you know it’s true? How would you know if you were wrong? Identify the source of beliefs on a problem. Be ruthless in evaluating their integrity and validity.
质疑原有思维背后的假设:你为什么认为这是真的?你怎么知道它是真的?你怎么知道自己错了?找出你对某个问题持有的信念来源。毫不留情地评估它们的完整性和有效性。
Evaluate the evidence used to support the thinking: What concrete evidence do you have? How credible is it? What hidden evidence may exist?
评估支持该观点的证据:你有哪些具体证据?这些证据的可信度如何?可能还存在哪些隐藏的证据?
Understand the consequences of being wrong: Can an error be quickly fixed? How costly is this mistake? Always understand the stakes.
要明白犯错的后果:错误能否迅速纠正?这个错误代价有多大?始终要清楚利害关系。
Evaluate potential alternatives: What alternative beliefs or viewpoints might exist? Why might they be superior? Why do others believe them to be true? What do they know that you don’t? Evaluate them on their merits and ask these same fundamental questions about them.
评估潜在的替代方案:可能存在哪些替代的信念或观点?它们为何可能更胜一筹?其他人为何认为它们是正确的?他们掌握了哪些你所不知道的信息?根据它们的优劣进行评估,并提出同样的基本问题。
After zooming in, zoom out: What was your original thinking? Was it correct? If not, where did you err? What conclusions can you draw from the process about systemic errors in thinking? In the business school experiment, spending time asking questions to identify this right problem was what unlocked the group to think differently about the assets at their disposal and ultimately come up with a more creative solution.
放大之后,再缩小视角:你最初的想法是什么?它正确吗?如果不是,你的错误在哪里?你能从这个过程得出哪些关于思维系统性错误的结论?在商学院的实验中,花时间提问以确定真正的问题,正是激发团队以不同的视角看待他们所拥有的资源,并最终提出更具创造性的解决方案的关键所在。
Socratic questioning takes time. It shouldn’t be used on low-cost, easily reversible decisions. But when you encounter a high-stakes decision with the potential for asymmetric rewards in your business, career, or life, it’s worth engaging in the exercise. It will empower you to think differently and uncover the path most likely to generate the asymmetric, risk-adjusted returns.
苏格拉底式提问需要时间,不应用于成本低、容易逆转的决策。但当你在事业、职业或生活中遇到可能带来不对称回报的高风险决策时,就值得尝试这种方法。它能帮助你转变思维方式,找到最有可能带来不对称风险调整后收益的路径。
In the 1980s, Bill Gates began an annual tradition he called Think Week. Gates would seclude himself in a remote location, shut off communication, and spend a week dedicated to reading and thinking.
上世纪80年代,比尔·盖茨开始了一项名为“思考周”的年度传统。盖茨会把自己封闭在偏远的地方,切断与外界的联系,用一周的时间专门用于阅读和思考。
For Gates, Think Week was a time to be creative and push his thinking with new depth and breadth. It allowed him to exit the demands of an average day on the job and train his sights on the bigger picture.
对盖茨来说,“思考周”是一个激发创造力、拓展思维深度和广度的时期。它让他得以摆脱日常工作的束缚,将目光聚焦于更宏观的层面。
If you’re like me, you don’t have an entire week to dedicate to thinking, but you can adapt something with a similar core vision.
如果你和我一样,没有一整周的时间专门用来思考,但你可以借鉴一些具有类似核心理念的东西。
The Think Day was my adaptation.
“思考日”是我改编的。
Pick one day each month to step back from all of your day-to-day professional demands:
每月选一天,从日常工作中抽身出来,彻底放松:
Seclude yourself (mentally or physically).
把自己与世隔绝(精神上或身体上)。
Put up an out-of-office response.
设置自动回复的自动回复。
Shut off all your devices.
关闭所有设备。
The goal: Spend the entire day reading, learning, journaling, and thinking.
目标:用一整天的时间阅读、学习、写日记和思考。
By doing this, you create the free time to zoom out, open your mind, and think creatively about the bigger picture.
这样做,你就能腾出时间来跳出固有思维,打开思路,从更宏观的角度进行创造性思考。
The essential tools for Think Day:
思考日必备工具:
Journal and pen
日记本和笔
Books/articles you’ve been wanting to read
你一直想读的书/文章
Secluded location (at home, rental, or outside)
僻静的地方(家中、出租房或户外)
Thinking prompts to spark your mind
激发思考的提示
Eight thinking prompts I have found particularly useful:
我发现以下八个思考提示特别有用:
If I repeated my current typical day for one hundred days, would my life be better or worse?
如果我连续一百天重复目前这种典型的一天,我的生活会变得更好还是更糟?
If people observed my actions for a week, what would they say my priorities are?
如果人们观察我一周的行为,他们会说我的优先事项是什么?
If I were the main character in a movie of my life, what would the audience be screaming at me to do right now?
如果我是自己人生的电影主角,观众现在会冲我大喊让我做什么?
Am I hunting antelope (big important problems) or field mice (small urgent problems)?
我是在猎杀羚羊(重大问题)还是田鼠(小而紧急的问题)?
How can I do less but better?
如何才能事半功倍?
What are my strongest beliefs? What would it take for me to change my mind on them?
我最坚定的信念是什么?什么才能改变我对这些信念的看法?
What are a few things I know now that I wish I’d known five years ago?
有哪些事情是我现在知道但五年前就希望知道的?
What actions did I engage in five years ago that I cringe at today? What actions am I engaged in today that I might cringe at in five years?
五年前我做过哪些事,现在想起来会觉得后悔?我今天做的哪些事,五年后可能会让我后悔?
I aim for an eight-hour window split into sixty-minute focus blocks with walks in between.
我的目标是安排八小时的工作时间,将其分成若干个六十分钟的专注时段,中间穿插散步。
In a speed-obsessed world, the benefits of slowing down are extensive. It allows you to:
在一个追求速度的世界里,放慢脚步的好处多多。它可以让你:
Restore energy
恢复能量
Notice things you missed
注意你错过的事情
Be more deliberate with actions
行动时要更加深思熟虑。
Focus on the highest-leverage opportunities
专注于最具杠杆效应的机会
Move slow to move fast
慢工出细活
The Think Day can help. Give it a shot and experience the benefits of intentional solitude.
思考日或许有所帮助。不妨一试,体验一下刻意独处的好处。
There is one simple, entirely free tool that you can use to find and embrace more space in your life: the walk.
有一种简单、完全免费的工具可以帮助你在生活中找到并拥抱更多空间:那就是散步。
Philosophers have long known the power of the walk for mental clarity, creativity, and recovery. Aristotle founded what became known as the Peripatetic school of philosophy—a word that literally translates to “walking” or “given to walking about”—as he had a propensity to walk while lecturing or having conversations. Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard wrote, “Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.”
哲学家们早已认识到散步对提升思维清晰度、创造力和促进身心恢复的益处。亚里士多德创立了后来被称为逍遥学派的哲学流派——“逍遥学派”一词的字面意思就是“行走”或“喜欢走动”——因为他本人就喜欢边走边讲课或与人交谈。丹麦哲学家索伦·克尔凯郭尔写道:“最重要的是,不要失去你行走的欲望。我每天都通过散步让自己身心舒畅,并通过散步远离疾病。我最好的想法都是通过散步产生的,而且我知道没有什么想法是沉重到无法通过散步摆脱的。”
These insights on the benefits of walking are more than just anecdotes; they are supported by a large and growing body of science:
这些关于步行益处的见解不仅仅是轶事;它们得到了大量且不断增长的科学研究的支持:
Stanford researchers found that students performed significantly better on tests measuring creative, divergent thinking during and after walks. In fact, walking boosted creative thinking by an average of 60 percent and the benefits lasted well beyond the walk itself. [8]
斯坦福大学的研究人员发现,学生在散步期间和散步后,在衡量创造性思维和发散性思维的测试中表现明显更好。事实上,散步平均能将创造性思维提高 60%,而且这种益处在散步结束后还能持续很长时间。[8]
Researchers in Illinois found that children exhibited improved cognitive performance after twenty minutes of walking compared to twenty minutes of sitting quietly. [9]
伊利诺伊州的研究人员发现,与安静地坐着 20 分钟相比,步行 20 分钟后,儿童的认知能力有所提高。[9]
University of Hong Kong researchers showed that talking while walking side by side with someone led to deeper feelings of connection, implying that walking meetings may actually create better outcomes. [10]
香港大学的研究人员发现,与人并肩行走时交谈能加深彼此的联系感,这意味着步行会议实际上可能会产生更好的结果。[10]
A NeuroImage study in June 2021 suggested that daily walking may improve white-matter plasticity in older adults, meaning improved memory-retention curves. [11]
2021 年 6 月的一项 NeuroImage 研究表明,每天步行可以改善老年人的白质可塑性,这意味着记忆保持曲线会得到改善。[11]
The case for walking is abundantly clear. If there is one single habit that you can build that will immediately create space, enhance your creativity, reduce your stress, and improve your overall Mental Wealth, it is a daily walk.
步行的好处显而易见。如果说有一种习惯能够立即为你创造空间、提升创造力、减轻压力并改善你的整体精神状态,那就是每日步行。
Find ways to add short and long walks to your daily routine:
想办法在日常生活中加入短途和长途散步:
Take a five-minute walk between meetings, after a meal, or before an important presentation.
在会议间隙、饭后或重要演讲前,抽出五分钟时间散步。
Go for a fifteen-minute walk first thing in the morning. The sunlight, movement, and fresh air have a direct positive impact on your mood, circadian rhythm, metabolism, digestion, and more.
每天早晨起床后先散步十五分钟。阳光、运动和新鲜空气对你的情绪、昼夜节律、新陈代谢、消化等等都有直接的积极影响。
Enjoy longer, passive, tech-free walks when you have the time. These walks are thirty to sixty minutes long and are done at a slow, leisurely pace with no technology. The mind should be free to wander. Allow your ideas to mingle. I’d suggest bringing a little pocket notebook to log anything interesting that comes into your head (it will happen!).
有时间的话,不妨享受更长时间、更轻松、不借助科技的散步。这种散步时长在30到60分钟之间,节奏缓慢悠闲,全程不使用任何电子设备。让思绪自由驰骋,任由思绪交织。我建议带个小笔记本,随时记录脑海中涌现的任何有趣想法(灵感肯定会出现!)。
Walking with your thoughts is an ultra-powerful space-creating tool available to all of us, completely free of charge.
行走时保持思绪活跃是一种极其强大的创造空间的工具,我们所有人都可以免费使用。
A power-down ritual is a fixed sequence of actions and behaviors that create space in your life by mentally and physically marking the end of your professional day. The idea originated with author Cal Newport, who penned a blog post on the topic over a decade ago.
下班仪式是指一系列固定的行动和行为,它通过在心理和生理上标志着一天工作的结束,为你的生活腾出空间。这个概念最初由作家卡尔·纽波特提出,他十多年前就曾就此主题撰写过一篇博文。
An example of my fixed sequence might look something like this:
我的固定序列的一个例子可能如下所示:
Check email for any final requests requiring action.
请查看电子邮件,了解是否有需要处理的最终请求。
Check calendar and task lists for the following day.
查看第二天的日历和任务清单。
Do fifteen minutes of prep for priority tasks of the next morning.
花十五分钟时间为第二天早上的重点任务做准备。
Close down all applications and technology for the night.
晚上睡觉前请关闭所有应用程序和电子设备。
The benefits of having a power-down ritual that I have observed:
我观察到,养成睡前习惯有以下好处:
Clear boundaries: The ritual creates a clear set of boundaries that separate professional and personal activities. We become more present on each side of the boundary.
清晰的界限:仪式建立了一套清晰的界限,将职业活动和私人活动区分开来。我们能够更加专注于界限的每一侧。
Enhanced morning productivity: By including a bit of prep for the following morning as part of my ritual, I have noticed a clear boost in my productivity on the first task of the following day. I’m ready to hit the ground running.
提升晨间效率:将一些为第二天早晨做准备的工作纳入我的日常习惯后,我发现第二天第一项任务的效率明显提高。我已经准备好全力以赴了。
Improved mental health: I feel so much better in the evenings after I have had the power-down. I’m more present with my wife and son, I’m not worried about the random notifications that are hitting, and I’m able to fall asleep faster.
心理健康状况改善:晚上关掉电子设备后,我感觉好多了。我能更专注地陪伴妻子和儿子,不再被各种通知打扰,也能更快入睡。
To create your own, incorporate these three key elements:
要创建您自己的作品,请融入以下三个关键要素:
Complete final tasks: What are the final checks that you need to perform in order to close out the tasks of the day and confirm that there is nothing remaining for you to complete? For most people, this will involve checking email and Slack with a quick scan, plus a sweep of any open projects.
完成收尾工作:为了结束当天的工作,确认没有遗留事项,你需要进行哪些最终检查?对大多数人来说,这包括快速浏览电子邮件和 Slack,以及检查所有未完成的项目。
Prepare for tomorrow: What are the focus priorities for tomorrow? What is the first task you want to make progress on when you start work? Do ten to fifteen minutes of prep work to set yourself up to hit the ground running on that priority task.
为明天做好准备:明天工作的重点是什么?上班后你最想先完成的任务是什么?花十分钟到十五分钟做些准备工作,以便能够迅速进入工作状态,高效完成这项重点任务。
Initiate power-down: Create a mental trigger for the completion of the power-down ritual. Cal Newport had his own magic phrase (“Schedule shutdown, complete”), but you can create your own less nerdy version if you like.
启动关机程序:为完成关机仪式设定一个心理触发条件。卡尔·纽波特有他自己的一套“魔法短语”(“计划关机,完成”),当然你也可以根据自己的喜好,创造一个更通俗易懂的版本。
Using those three elements, sketch out what a power-down ritual would look like for you. As with everything, initial action builds momentum. Try it this week and see what happens.
运用这三个要素,勾勒出你理想的“断电仪式”。凡事皆有起色,第一步才能积蓄力量。这周就试试看,看看效果如何。
Journaling is an extremely powerful tool for creating space and improving mental health. Unfortunately, journaling is a habit that eludes most people. The aspirational self may have thirty minutes of silence in the evenings and the energy to sit down and write at length on a series of complex, interesting prompts. The actual self…does not. As a result, most of us assume we don’t have the time to create a meaningful, valuable journaling practice.
写日记是创造空间、改善心理健康的强大工具。可惜的是,大多数人都难以养成写日记的习惯。理想中的自己或许能在晚上抽出半小时的安静时间,精力充沛地坐下来,就一系列复杂有趣的主题进行深入写作。但现实中的自己……却做不到。因此,我们大多数人都认为自己没有时间培养一种有意义、有价值的写日记习惯。
The reality: Even five minutes of daily journaling can have a profound impact on your mental health.
事实是:即使每天只花五分钟写日记,也能对你的心理健康产生深远的影响。
To build a journaling habit that works in the context of my reality, I developed a dead-simple solution: the 1-1-1 method.
为了养成适合我实际情况的写日记习惯,我开发了一个非常简单的解决方案:1-1-1 方法。
Every single evening, at the end of your day, open your journal (or favorite digital tool or application) and write down three simple points:
每天晚上,在一天结束的时候,打开你的日记本(或你喜欢的电子工具或应用程序),写下三点简单的内容:
One win from the day
当天仅赢一场
One point of tension, anxiety, or stress
一个紧张、焦虑或压力点
One point of gratitude
感恩之事
The whole process takes about five minutes (though you can go longer if you’re feeling inspired by anything in particular).
整个过程大约需要五分钟(不过如果你受到特别的启发,可以持续更长时间)。
The 1-1-1 method works because of its simplicity:
1-1-1 方法之所以有效,是因为它简单易行:
One win allows you to appreciate your progress.
一场胜利能让你欣赏自己的进步。
One point of tension allows you to get the topic off your mind and onto the paper. It’s therapeutic.
一个紧张点能让你把脑海中的想法写在纸上。这很有疗愈作用。
One point of gratitude allows you to reflect on the most important things in your life.
感恩之心能让你反思生命中最重要的事情。
With a simple structure and a low time burden, the 1-1-1 method is an easy way to start building a journaling practice that will improve your mental health.
1-1-1 方法结构简单,耗时短,是开始建立写日记习惯、改善心理健康的简便方法。
To add an additional layer of commitment to make it stick, create a group chat with a few others who want to make journaling a habit in the year ahead. The group chat is used only for sending a Done once you complete it in the evening. Use it to keep one another accountable and build the streak.
为了增加坚持下去的动力,可以创建一个群聊,邀请几个同样想在未来一年养成写日记习惯的朋友。群聊仅用于在晚上完成日记后发送“已完成”信息。利用群聊互相督促,共同努力,争取连续写日记。
The Big Question: What would your ten-year-old self say to you today?
大问题:十岁的你会对今天的你说什么?
Purpose: The clarity of defining a unique vision and focus that creates meaning and aligns short- and long-term decision making; the unwillingness to live someone else’s life
目的:清晰地定义独特的愿景和重点,从而创造意义并协调短期和长期决策;不愿过别人的生活
Growth: The hunger to progress and change, driven by an understanding of the dynamic potential of your intelligence, ability, and character
成长:渴望进步和改变,这种渴望源于对自身智力、能力和性格所蕴含的巨大潜能的理解。
Space: The creation of stillness and solitude to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge; the ability and willingness to listen to your inner voice
空间:创造静谧独处的空间,用于思考、调整、探索问题和充电;倾听内心声音的能力和意愿。
The Mental Wealth Score: For each statement below, respond with 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (disagree), 2 (neutral), 3 (agree), or 4 (strongly agree).
心理财富评分:对于以下每一项陈述,请回答 0(非常不同意)、1(不同意)、2(中立)、3(同意)或 4(非常同意)。
I regularly embrace a childlike curiosity.
我经常保持着孩子般的好奇心。
I have a clear purpose that provides daily meaning and aligns short- and long-term decision making.
我有一个明确的目标,它赋予我每天的生活意义,并使我的短期和长期决策保持一致。
I pursue growth and consistently chase my full potential.
我追求成长,并不断努力发挥我的全部潜力。
I have a fundamental belief that I am able to continuously change, develop, and adapt.
我坚信自己能够不断改变、发展和适应。
I have regular rituals that allow me to create space to think, reset, wrestle with questions, and recharge.
我有一些固定的仪式,让我能够腾出空间思考、调整状态、思考问题并恢复精力。
Your baseline score (0 to 20):
您的基线分数(0 至 20 分):
Use the goal-setting framework to calibrate your Mental Wealth compass:
运用目标设定框架来校准你的精神财富指南针:
Goals: What Mental Wealth Score do you want to achieve within one year? What are the two to three checkpoints that you will need to hit on your path to achieve this score?
目标:您希望在一年内达到怎样的心理财富评分?为了达到这个评分,您需要达成哪两到三个关键节点?
Anti-goals: What are the two to three outcomes that you want to avoid on your journey?
反目标:在你的旅程中,你希望避免哪两到三种结果?
High-leverage systems: What are the two to three systems from the Mental Wealth Guide that you will implement to make tangible, compounding progress toward your goal score?
高杠杆系统:您将实施《精神财富指南》中的哪两到三个系统,以在实现目标分数方面取得切实、持续的进步?
Use the ikigai exercise to begin to explore and uncover your purpose and how it may connect to your current life endeavors.
利用 ikigai 练习来探索和发现你的人生目标,以及它与你当前生活努力的联系。
Create three separate lists:
创建三个单独的列表:
What you love: The activities that are life-giving, that bring joy
你所热爱的:那些赋予生命活力、带来快乐的活动
What you are good at: The activities that feel effortless
你擅长的事:那些让你感觉毫不费力的事
What the world needs: Define your current world and the activities that your current world needs from you.
世界需要什么:定义你当前的世界以及你的世界需要你做什么。
Identify the overlap of the three lists—this is a starting point for you to explore and uncover your higher-order life purpose.
找出这三个列表的重叠部分——这是你探索和发现更高层次人生目标的起点。
The young man was only in his mid-twenties, but he knew that if something didn’t change, he was going to end up dead.
这个年轻人只有二十五六岁,但他知道,如果情况不改变,他最终会死。
Dan Go was raised in a little town in Ontario, the son of two Filipino-Chinese immigrants who had moved the family to Canada in search of more opportunity when he was two. From a young age, he endured considerable psychological strain, the result of severe bullying by other children at school. Recalling the torment of those early years, he said, “They told me I was small, dumb, and never going to amount to anything. When you’re a kid, if you’re told something enough, you start to believe it’s true.”
丹·戈在安大略省的一个小镇长大,他的父母是菲律宾裔华人移民,在他两岁时为了寻求更好的发展机会而举家迁往加拿大。从小,他就承受着巨大的心理压力,这是由于在学校里受到其他孩子的严重欺凌造成的。回忆起早年的痛苦,他说:“他们说我个子小、笨,永远不会有出息。当你还是个孩子的时候,如果某件事被反复提及,你就会开始相信它是真的。”
He began heading down a dark, lonely path. Believing his tormentors were right, he dropped out of high school. His self-worth deteriorated and he started taking destructive actions to try to dull his inner pain and struggle—eating, drinking, and partying in ways he never had before. His actions set off a vicious self-fulfilling prophecy—the negative change in his physical appearance further eroded his self-worth, leading to more negative behaviors and a downward spiral. “I was in my early twenties, but I couldn’t see a future. I’d wake up, go to the fifteen-dollar-per-hour telemarketing job I hated, eat and drink myself to sleep, and do it again. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror.”
他开始走上一条黑暗而孤独的道路。他相信那些折磨他的人是对的,于是辍学了。他的自尊心一落千丈,开始采取一些毁灭性的行为来麻痹内心的痛苦和挣扎——暴饮暴食、酗酒、沉迷于派对,这是他以前从未有过的。他的行为引发了一个恶性循环——外貌的恶化进一步削弱了他的自尊心,导致更多消极行为,最终陷入恶性循环。“我当时二十出头,却看不到未来。我每天醒来,去上那份我讨厌的、时薪十五美元的电话推销工作,然后靠吃喝让自己睡着,第二天又重复这一切。我不敢照镜子。”
At his darkest point, when he no longer saw any light ahead of him, a single chance event changed everything.
在他最黑暗的时刻,当他看不到任何希望的时候,一件偶然的事情改变了一切。
His dad got a one-month pass to a local gym and gave it to Dan’s brother; he didn’t want it and passed it along to Dan.
他爸爸拿到了一张当地健身房的月卡,给了丹的哥哥;丹的哥哥不要了,就转给了丹。
Reflecting on what sparked him to accept that gym membership—which would be something of a challenge, given his current physical state—Dan stated plainly, “I realized that if I kept living the way I was living, I was going to end up dead.”
回想起是什么促使他接受了健身房会员资格——考虑到他目前的身体状况,这多少有些挑战性——丹坦言:“我意识到,如果我继续这样生活下去,我最终会死的。”
Dan showed up on the first day and got on a treadmill. Within a few minutes, he was out of breath, drenched in sweat, and bored out of his mind. He couldn’t imagine doing it again, but the next day, he convinced himself to go back and try something different. He used every weight machine in the gym, and even though he didn’t know what he was doing, he felt a rush of energy from the experience. The next morning, he woke up with a soreness he hadn’t felt in his entire life and embraced it as a sign that the weightlifting was working. Days three and four were a struggle as he dealt with the new muscle fatigue, but by day seven, he started to feel more comfortable, able to push himself a little bit harder. By day fourteen, he felt excitement at the prospect of walking into the gym. On day thirty, the day the pass expired, something interesting happened as he got dressed for work: He had to buckle his belt one notch tighter.
丹第一天就去了健身房,上了跑步机。没几分钟,他就气喘吁吁,汗流浃背,无聊透顶。他觉得再也不想去了,但第二天,他还是说服自己回去尝试一些不同的训练。他把健身房里所有的器械都用上了,虽然他完全不知道自己在做什么,但这种体验让他感到一股能量涌上心头。第二天早上醒来,他感觉浑身酸痛,这种感觉他这辈子都没体验过,但他欣然接受了,认为这是举重训练有效的标志。第三天和第四天,他都在努力克服肌肉疲劳带来的不适,但到了第七天,他开始感觉好多了,能够稍微加大训练强度。到了第十四天,他开始对走进健身房感到兴奋。第三十天,也就是健身卡到期的那天,他穿好衣服准备上班时,发生了一件有趣的事:他不得不把皮带再系紧一格。
In that moment, he knew: His entire life had changed.
那一刻,他明白了:他的人生彻底改变了。
The tiny result—a single notch in the belt—was representative of something bigger: Dan Go saw the power in his actions. He had reclaimed control of his life.
这微小的成果——腰带上多出的一道刻度——却代表着更深远的意义:丹·戈看到了自己行动的力量。他重新掌控了自己的人生。
As he continued to focus on his health, slowly becoming more scientific about how he approached his training, nutrition, and recovery, reading up on the latest studies and incorporating the new ideas into his routines, he started to see everything in his world changing around him. His brain began to function more effectively; he remembered information, names, people, places. His inner dialogue shifted—he started to think he was capable of anything, and certainly much more than he had ever given himself credit for. “I had this defeatist attitude. Suddenly, that all changed. I had a mindset that the entire world was open to me. I proved that I could press a button with my actions and create change in my world, and if I could do that with my health, I could do that anywhere.”
随着他不断关注自身健康,逐渐以更加科学的方式对待训练、营养和恢复,阅读最新的研究成果并将新理念融入日常生活中,他开始感受到周围世界的变化。他的大脑运转效率显著提升;他能记住信息、人名、人物和地点。他的内心对话也发生了转变——他开始相信自己无所不能,而且远超他以往对自己的认知。“我以前总是抱持着一种失败主义的态度。突然间,一切都改变了。我开始相信整个世界都向我敞开。我证明了我可以通过行动改变世界,如果我能改变自己的健康,那么在任何领域我都能做到。”
Today, Dan Go is in his forties but looks like he’s in his twenties. He is fit and vibrant, a loving husband and father of two beautiful children. He is an entrepreneur building a multimillion-dollar business where he positively influences lives by creating transformations just like the one he went through. Dan Go’s future went from dark and uncertain to bright and limitless—and it all started when he showed up on day one and got on the treadmill. It all started when he took control of his actions and built a life of Physical Wealth.
如今,丹·戈已年过四十,但看起来却像二十出头的年轻人。他身材健硕,活力充沛,是一位慈爱的丈夫和两个可爱孩子的父亲。他是一位企业家,正在打造一个价值数百万美元的企业,通过帮助他人实现与他自身经历类似的转变,从而积极地影响着他们的生活。丹·戈的未来从黑暗和不确定走向光明和无限可能——而这一切都始于他第一天踏上跑步机的那一刻。这一切都始于他掌控自己的行动,并建立起充实而富有物质财富的人生。
The disciplined pursuit of a life of Physical Wealth is a catalyst for growth: It initiates a mindset shift—it reminds you that you are in control, that you have the power. That mindset shift creates ripples that extend well beyond the core to every area of life.
有意识地追求物质财富是成长的催化剂:它能引发思维模式的转变——它提醒你,你掌控着一切,你拥有力量。这种思维模式的转变会产生涟漪效应,远远超出你的核心,影响到生活的方方面面。
Just after starting his corporate career in his twenties, Kevin Dahlstrom was struck by a mystery illness that wrecked his health; he had crushing fatigue, panic attacks, and recurrent infections. “It’s hard to look at photos of myself from that period,” he told me. “I don’t even recognize myself.” Rather than relying on the symptom-masking treatments that his doctors offered, he took control, spending hundreds of hours researching alternatives and executing a new routine based on exercise, nutrition, and recovery. Within months, his chronic symptoms disappeared, and his athletic physique and vibrant, high-energy personality returned. Through his pursuit of Physical Wealth, Kevin Dahlstrom had regained control—and he had no intention of giving it up again.
凯文·达尔斯特罗姆二十多岁刚开始他的职业生涯不久,就患上了一种神秘疾病,严重损害了他的健康;他感到极度疲劳、恐慌发作,并且反复感染。“我很难看那段时间的照片,”他告诉我,“我甚至认不出自己了。”他没有依赖医生提供的那些只能掩盖症状的治疗方法,而是主动掌控了自己的健康,花费数百小时研究替代疗法,并制定了一套基于运动、营养和恢复的全新生活方式。几个月后,他的慢性症状消失了,他健硕的体魄和充满活力、精力充沛的个性也回来了。通过追求“身心健康”,凯文·达尔斯特罗姆重新掌控了自己的生活——而且他再也不想放弃这种状态了。
Years later, he reached the top of the mountain as a corporate executive earning a seven-figure salary, and it was that feeling of control from all those years ago that he turned to when deciding to walk away from it all. Recounting the decision, he told me, “I made it to the summit of corporate America and realized that life doesn’t provide control. The evidence was clear—the most ‘successful’ people weren’t people I wanted to emulate in any way—they had lots of Financial Wealth but zero Physical Wealth. So I hit the eject button.”
多年后,他攀上了事业的巅峰,成为一名年薪七位数的企业高管。正是当年那种掌控一切的感觉,促使他最终决定放弃这一切。在回忆起这个决定时,他告诉我:“我登上了美国企业界的顶峰,却意识到生活并非掌控一切。证据显而易见——那些所谓的‘成功人士’,我根本不想效仿——他们拥有巨额财富,却一无所有。所以我按下了退出键。”
Today, Kevin Dahlstrom lives his dream life. He estimates that he gave up about ten million dollars in future earnings by stepping off the track, but his vibrant energy and broad smile show he has no regrets. He spends most of his time rock climbing, with his wife and kids, or working on any number of exciting, flexible professional projects that give him energy. Reflecting on the decision he made in his twenties to prioritize Physical Wealth, Kevin said, “A lot of people put off building Physical Wealth thinking that they can do that after they’ve made it, but it just doesn’t work that way. Any kind of wealth takes time and compounding to build, and the control you assume via building Physical Wealth is a catalyst and reminder of the control you have over every other area of your life.”
如今,凯文·达尔斯特罗姆过着他梦寐以求的生活。他估计,自己当初放弃赛车生涯,损失了大约一千万美元的未来收入,但他活力四射、笑容满面,丝毫没有后悔之意。他大部分时间都花在攀岩、陪伴妻子和孩子,或者从事各种让他充满活力、灵活多样的专业项目上。回想起二十多岁时决定优先积累物质财富的决定,凯文说道:“很多人把积累物质财富这件事往后拖,以为等功成名就之后再说,但事实并非如此。任何财富的积累都需要时间和复利,而通过积累物质财富所获得的掌控感,会激励你,并提醒你,你对生活中的其他方方面面也拥有掌控权。”
In her book Imaginable, New York Times bestselling author Jane McGonigal describes a tool called futures thinking that is intended to “inspire you to take actions today that set yourself up for future happiness and success.” McGonigal walks readers through a guided exercise in futures thinking that has them envision, in vivid detail, their future selves. What are you wearing? Where are you? What’s around you? Who is around you? What do you hear and smell? What do you have planned for the day? The effortful creation of this new future canvas, which scientists refer to as episodic future thinking (EFT for short), cements an imagined future in your memory, meaning you can return to this “memory” and use its lessons to make changes or decisions in the present.
在她的著作《可想象的未来》(Imaginable)中,《纽约时报》畅销书作家简·麦戈尼格尔(Jane McGonigal)介绍了一种名为“未来思维”的工具,旨在“激励你从今天开始采取行动,为未来的幸福和成功奠定基础”。麦戈尼格尔引导读者完成一项未来思维练习,让他们生动地想象未来的自己。你穿着什么?你在哪里?你周围有什么?你身边有哪些人?你听到了什么,闻到了什么?你今天有什么计划?这种用心构建的未来图景,科学家称之为情景式未来思维(简称EFT),会将想象中的未来牢牢地印在你的记忆中,这意味着你可以回到这段“记忆”,并运用其中的经验教训来改变或决定当下的行动。
In an article for TED, McGonigal wrote, “EFT isn’t an escape from reality. It’s a way of playing with reality, to discover risks and opportunities you might not have considered…. It’s a powerful decision-making, planning and motivational tool. It helps us decide: Is this a world I want to wake up in? What do I need to do to be ready for it? Should I change what I’m doing today to make this future more or less likely?” [1]
麦戈尼格尔在为 TED 撰写的一篇文章中写道:“EFT 不是逃避现实。它是一种与现实互动的方式,可以发现你可能没有考虑到的风险和机遇……它是一种强大的决策、计划和激励工具。它帮助我们决定:这是我想要醒来的世界吗?我需要做些什么来做好准备?我应该改变我今天正在做的事情,以使这个未来更有可能还是更不可能发生?”[1]
Most important, imagining the desired future reinforces the need for specific actions in the present to create that end.
最重要的是,想象理想的未来会强化当下采取具体行动以实现该目标的必要性。
Let’s try it. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Imagine you’re at your eightieth birthday celebration. All your favorite people are walking in, cards and flowers in hand, big smiles on their faces. You’re sitting at the main table, enjoying your favorite drink and meal, when the ambient music starts to get louder. It’s your favorite song. Your foot starts tapping on the floor underneath the table, right along with the beat. Memories of wonderful moments with the song flood back into your brain. People start to get up and walk to the center of the room. Everyone is looking over at you.
我们来试试。闭上眼睛,深吸一口气。想象一下,你正在庆祝八十岁生日。所有你最亲近的人都走了进来,手里拿着贺卡和鲜花,脸上洋溢着灿烂的笑容。你坐在主桌旁,享用着你最爱的饮品和美食,这时,背景音乐渐渐响起。那是你最喜欢的歌。你的脚不由自主地在桌子底下轻轻敲击着地板,随着节拍打着。那些与这首歌相关的美好回忆瞬间涌上心头。人们开始起身,走到房间中央。所有人的目光都转向了你。
What happens next?
接下来会发生什么?
Do you get up and start dancing with your loved ones?
你会起身和你的爱人一起跳舞吗?
Or are you stuck, forced to enjoy the music from your chair?
还是你只能被迫坐在椅子上欣赏音乐?
The harsh truth is that the answers to those questions were written long before you arrived at your eightieth birthday. Your daily actions along the way determined whether you would be dancing or watching at that party.
残酷的现实是,这些问题的答案在你八十岁生日之前就已经注定了。你一路走来的日常行为决定了你最终是会参加那场盛宴,翩翩起舞还是旁观。
That visualization of your future should provide clarity on the present:
对未来的这种设想应该能帮助你更清晰地认识现在:
If you continue your current daily actions, will you be dancing or sitting?
如果你继续保持目前的日常习惯,你会跳舞还是坐着?
What actions do you need to add or adjust in the present to more closely align your future with your ideal vision for it?
为了使你的未来与你理想的未来愿景更加契合,你现在需要采取哪些行动或做出哪些调整?
What would your eighty-year-old self want you to do today?
如果你回到八十岁,你会希望你今天做什么?
A life of Physical Wealth is grounded in executing the daily actions—regular movement, proper nutrition, and thoughtful recovery —to live a vital present and build toward your ideal imagined future. Your present self is the primary stakeholder in your world, but your future self is the direct heir of the long-term compounding of your actions in the present.
拥有物质财富的生活,根植于每日的行动——规律的运动、合理的营养和周全的休息——从而活出精彩的当下,并朝着你理想的未来迈进。你现在的自己是你世界的主要利益相关者,而你未来的自己则是你当下行动长期累积效应的直接继承者。
Your eighty-year-old self would remind you that you get only one body, and the way you treat it today is reflected and amplified in the way it will treat you years in the future.
八十岁的你会提醒你,你只有一副身体,你今天对待它的方式,会在多年以后它对待你的方式中得到反映和放大。
Few people in the world recognized and acted on this insight with more clarity than star American football quarterback Andrew Luck. During the 2018 season, he was riding high at the peak of his football career. The twenty-nine-year-old quarterback was coming off an injury-riddled 2017 season but was back in fighting form, setting new career highs and leading the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs. He was given the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year Award and voted to his fourth Pro Bowl appearance. It seemed like his career was back on track and he was destined for Hall of Fame glory. But on August 24, 2019, just before the start of the season, Andrew Luck took the podium at Lucas Oil Stadium and announced his retirement in a teary-eyed speech.
世界上很少有人能像美国橄榄球明星四分卫安德鲁·拉克那样,如此清晰地认识到这一点并付诸行动。2018赛季,他正处于职业生涯的巅峰时期。这位29岁的四分卫刚刚经历了伤病缠身的2017赛季,但他重回巅峰,创造了新的职业生涯纪录,并带领印第安纳波利斯小马队打入季后赛。他荣获NFL年度最佳复出球员奖,并第四次入选职业碗。他的职业生涯似乎重回正轨,注定要进入名人堂。然而,就在2019年8月24日,新赛季开始前夕,安德鲁·拉克在卢卡斯石油体育场发表讲话,含泪宣布退役。
The decision shocked the sports world. By retiring, Luck was giving up over $58 million in contract value from his existing agreement with the Colts, plus lucrative endorsement deals. Colts owner Jim Irsay was quoted as saying that he believed Andrew Luck was leaving up to $450 million on the table by choosing to retire. This is an almost unfathomable sum of money to most of us—and it’s even more unfathomable to imagine walking away and giving it up.
这一决定震惊了体育界。拉克选择退役,意味着他放弃了与印第安纳波利斯小马队现有合同中超过5800万美元的价值,以及丰厚的代言收入。小马队老板吉姆·伊尔赛曾表示,他认为安德鲁·拉克选择退役意味着放弃了高达4.5亿美元的收入。对于大多数人来说,这是一笔难以想象的巨款——更难以想象有人会选择放弃这一切。
And yet that was exactly what Andrew Luck did. Why? The realization that his present and future health was worth more than any contract could offer.
然而,安德鲁·拉克正是这么做的。为什么?因为他意识到,他现在和未来的健康比任何合同所能提供的都更有价值。
In his six NFL seasons, Luck, who played a hard-nosed brand of football and never shied away from contact, endured torn cartilage in two ribs, a partial tear of an abdominal muscle, a lacerated kidney that left him urinating blood, at least one documented concussion, and a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder. This leaves out any undocumented injuries from his long and illustrious amateur and collegiate career, where he was a Heisman finalist while leading Stanford University to several bowl-game victories and top-ten national finishes. In his retirement speech, Luck pointed to the future: “It’s been four years of this injury pain cycle. For me to move forward in my life the way I want to, it [won’t] involve football.” The constant injuries, pain, and pressure had taken a toll on his life on and off the field. To live the life he imagined for himself and his wife and children, Andrew Luck looked beyond Financial Wealth and saw the bigger picture.
在六个赛季的NFL生涯中,以强悍球风著称、从不畏惧身体对抗的安德鲁·拉克饱受伤病困扰,包括两根肋骨软骨撕裂、腹部肌肉部分撕裂、肾脏撕裂导致尿血、至少一次有记录的脑震荡以及投掷肩盂唇撕裂。这还不包括他漫长而辉煌的业余和大学生涯中那些未被记录的伤病。在大学时期,他曾入围海斯曼奖最终候选名单,并带领斯坦福大学多次赢得碗赛冠军,跻身全国前十。在退役演讲中,拉克展望未来:“四年来,我一直被伤病折磨。如果我想按照自己想要的方式继续生活,那就不能再打橄榄球了。”持续不断的伤病、疼痛和压力严重影响了他场内外的生活。为了过上他为自己、妻子和孩子设想的生活,安德鲁·拉克不再仅仅关注金钱,而是着眼于更广阔的未来。
It is fitting to recall the powerful piece of advice shared by one of the wise elders interviewed in the opening section of the book, an eighty-year-old with deep regret for the alcohol-heavy, exercise-light lifestyle he had lived throughout his working life:
值得一提的是,本书开篇采访的一位睿智长者分享了一条意义深远的建议。这位八十岁的老人对自己整个职业生涯中酗酒、缺乏运动的生活方式深感懊悔:
“Treat your body like a house you have to live in for another seventy years.”
“把你的身体当作一座你还要居住七十年的房子来对待。”
Your body is, quite literally, the house that you’re going to live in for the rest of your life. And yet a lot of people treat that house like trash—they drink and eat too much, don’t sleep enough, rarely move, and avoid the basic investments and repairs necessary to keep it maintained.
从字面上讲,你的身体就是你余生要居住的房子。然而,很多人却把这栋房子当成垃圾场——他们过度饮酒和饮食,睡眠不足,很少运动,并且逃避维持身体正常运转所需的基本投资和维修。
You are in control of the present and future state of your house. Keep the foundation and roof in solid order, fix minor issues as soon as they arise, and make the small daily, weekly, and monthly investments required to ensure it will last a long, long time.
您掌控着房屋的现在和未来。保持地基和屋顶稳固,及时修复小问题,并进行必要的日常、每周和每月的小额投资,以确保房屋能够长久使用。
With a body, just as with a home, if you take care of it today, it will take care of you for years to come.
身体就像房子一样,如果你今天好好保养,它将在未来的岁月里好好照顾你。
Let’s make sure you’re dancing at your eightieth birthday party.
让我们确保你在八十岁生日派对上能翩翩起舞。
In the first century B.C., as Julius Caesar ruled over an expanding Roman Empire, a talented young man named Marcus Vitruvius Pollio quietly served in his army, designing machines for battle to outmaneuver Rome’s various enemies. Later in life, he became a well-known scholar of architecture, penning De architectura, which is regarded as the first major work on the theory of architecture.
公元前一世纪,当尤利乌斯·凯撒统治着不断扩张的罗马帝国时,一位名叫马库斯·维特鲁威·波利奥的才华横溢的年轻人默默地在他的军队中服役,设计用于作战的机械,以战胜罗马的各种敌人。后来,他成为一位著名的建筑学者,撰写了《建筑十书》(De architectura),这部著作被认为是第一部重要的建筑理论著作。
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio firmly believed in the connection between the human form and the universe. His physical design principles reflected that belief; he wrote, “The design of a temple depends on symmetry. There must be a precise relation between its components, as in the case of those of a well-shaped man.” [2] He dictated the explicit ideals of a well-shaped man (and their impact on the structural design of the temple) in detail; for example, “The length of the foot is one sixth of the height of the body; of the forearm, one fourth; and the breadth of the breast is also one fourth.” The precision and curiosity on display in Marcus Vitruvius Pollio’s writings sparked fervent intrigue from the most famous scholar of the Renaissance period: Leonardo da Vinci.
马库斯·维特鲁威·波利奥坚信人体与宇宙之间的联系。他的物理设计原则体现了这一信念;他写道:“神庙的设计取决于对称性。其各个组成部分之间必须存在精确的关系,就像一个体态匀称的人一样。”[2] 他详细阐述了体态匀称的理想标准(及其对神庙结构设计的影响);例如,“脚长是身高的六分之一;前臂长是身高的四分之一;胸宽也是身高的四分之一。” 马库斯·维特鲁威·波利奥著作中所展现的精确性和求知欲,激起了文艺复兴时期最著名的学者——列奥纳多·达·芬奇的浓厚兴趣。
Leonardo’s obsession with Marcus Vitruvius Pollio’s description of the ideal human form led to his creation of the famed Vitruvian Man drawing—a depiction of the ideal human form in two different positions, one superimposed on the other, that established the perfect measurements. While a few other scholars of the period attempted to create the ideal image, producing loose and free-flowing drawings and diagrams, it was only Leonardo who took on the task with a heightened degree of art and science that was characteristic of all his work.
达芬奇对马库斯·维特鲁威·波利奥关于理想人体形态的描述痴迷不已,这促使他创作了著名的《维特鲁威人》——一幅描绘理想人体两种不同姿势的图画,两者相互叠加,从而确立了完美的人体比例。虽然当时也有其他学者尝试创作理想人体的形象,绘制出一些随意而自由的图画和图表,但只有达芬奇以高度的艺术性和科学性来完成这项任务,而这种艺术性和科学性也贯穿于他所有的作品之中。
Around this time, Leonardo famously wrote, “The ancients called man a lesser world, and certainly the use of this name is well bestowed, because his body is an analog for the world.” His fascination with human anatomy, lines, proportions, and movements was a crucial part of a thriving Renaissance humanist movement, inspiring a public interest in the human form, an interest that had been lost during the Dark Ages, when the human body had come to be viewed as sinful.
大约在同一时期,达芬奇写下了著名的文字:“古人称人为小世界,这个称呼确实恰如其分,因为人的身体是世界的缩影。”他对人体解剖、线条、比例和运动的痴迷,是文艺复兴时期蓬勃发展的人文主义运动的重要组成部分,激发了公众对人体形态的兴趣——这种兴趣在中世纪黑暗时期一度消失,因为那时人体被视为罪恶。
The rippling legacy of Leonardo’s obsession is found in a cultural interest in the body and physicality that continues to accelerate today. It is a legacy that runs from Michelangelo’s striking David all the way through the mirrored walls of our modern-day gyms.
达芬奇对身体的痴迷所留下的深远影响,体现在当今文化中对身体和体魄的关注上,而这种关注仍在不断加剧。从米开朗基罗令人叹为观止的《大卫》雕像,到我们现代健身房的镜面墙壁,这一影响始终贯穿其中。
For thousands of years, Physical Wealth—the internal and external health and vitality of an individual—was ingrained in the human lifestyle. Our earliest ancestors were nomadic hunter-gatherers, meaning they roamed large swaths of land in search of food and shelter. This lifestyle necessitated and contributed to a high level of physical well-being. Men, who were typically responsible for hunting larger game and protein sources, were on the move, running, jumping, climbing, throwing, and more; women, who were typically responsible for child-rearing and gathering edible fruits, seeds, roots, and nuts, were also in constant motion, walking, balancing, carrying, and more. Their survival was based on their ability to do these activities well, and the constant motion also undoubtedly shaped their physical forms, their muscles, bones, and ligaments strengthened through the movement necessary to survive and thrive through reproductive age.
数千年来,身心健康——即个体的内外健康和活力——早已融入人类的生活方式。我们最早的祖先是游牧的狩猎采集者,这意味着他们为了寻找食物和住所而四处迁徙。这种生活方式既需要也促进了他们良好的身体素质。男性通常负责狩猎大型猎物和获取蛋白质,他们奔跑、跳跃、攀爬、投掷等等,不停地活动;女性通常负责养育子女和采集可食用的水果、种子、根茎和坚果,她们也同样忙碌不停,行走、保持平衡、搬运等等。他们的生存依赖于他们出色地完成这些活动的能力,而持续不断的运动无疑也塑造了他们的体型,他们的肌肉、骨骼和韧带在生存和繁衍过程中不断得到强化,从而得以健康地度过生育年龄。
When the Agricultural Revolution took place, around 10,000 B.C., the daily physical demands on the average human changed profoundly. These agrarian tribes did not face the inherent unpredictability of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle; they experienced a more repetitive routine that placed an emphasis on a handful of movements and actions done continuously (such as when they tilled soil) and a diet of staple crops. Anthropologists have observed that remains from agrarian societies show reduced bone density, likely a result of fewer day-to-day physical demands, and a lower overall muscle mass, particularly in the upper body. While aspects of physicality were still a part of life, they took on a lesser role in a more sedentary culture, albeit one with modestly higher life expectancy—24.9 years for agriculturalists compared to 21.6 years for hunter-gatherers, according to one estimate [3] —due to the decreased risks of daily life.
公元前10000年左右,农业革命发生,普通人日常的体力消耗发生了深刻变化。这些农业部落不再面临狩猎采集生活方式固有的不确定性;他们的生活更加规律,注重少数几个持续进行的动作和活动(例如耕作),并以主粮作物为主。人类学家观察到,农业社会遗骸显示骨密度较低,这可能是由于日常体力消耗减少所致,同时他们的整体肌肉量也较低,尤其是在上半身。虽然体力活动仍然是生活的一部分,但在这种更为久坐的文化中,体力活动的重要性有所降低。尽管如此,由于日常生活风险的降低,农业社会的预期寿命略高——据估计[3],农业社会的预期寿命为24.9岁,而狩猎采集社会的预期寿命为21.6岁。
In the thousands of years that followed, humanity entered a period of war and conquest beyond the scale of the minor turf wars that likely characterized the earliest nomadic and agrarian societies. Empires were built on the backs of enormous armies with complex logistics and supply chains that extended thousands of kilometers and covered perilous territory. Suddenly, the physical archetype of the warrior was thrust into the cultural spotlight, and men trained to ready themselves for military glory, a chance at the immortality bestowed upon great warrior heroes like Achilles. The warrior physique and performance attributes—significant upper body strength to wield heavy shields and weapons and a high degree of cardiovascular fitness to endure long marches and battles—were glorified. Perhaps the most extreme example was found in Sparta, a Greek city-state known for its military might that reached the peak of its power between the sixth and fourth centuries B.C. Spartan males were inspected at birth, and those judged weak were left on a nearby mountain to die. At age seven, boys were taken from their mothers’ care and sent to begin their training at the agoge, a military camp. For years, they were hardened for a life of war and taught to steel themselves against pain and suffering. The training was so intense that Plutarch commented, “They were the only men in the world with whom war brought a respite in the training for war.”
在随后的数千年里,人类进入了一个战争与征服的时代,其规模远远超过了早期游牧和农业社会中常见的那些小规模的领土争夺战。帝国的建立依赖于庞大的军队,这些军队拥有复杂的后勤和补给链,绵延数千公里,覆盖着险峻的地域。突然间,战士的体魄被推到了文化聚光灯下,男人们开始训练,为军事荣耀做好准备,渴望获得像阿喀琉斯那样伟大的英雄所拥有的永生。战士的体格和战斗技能——强大的上肢力量,能够挥舞沉重的盾牌和武器;以及极佳的心肺功能,能够承受长途行军和战斗——被奉为圭臬。或许最极端的例子出现在斯巴达,这个以军事实力著称的希腊城邦,在公元前6世纪至4世纪达到了鼎盛时期。斯巴达的男性在出生时就要接受检查,那些被认为体弱的会被遗弃在附近的山上等死。七岁时,男孩们就被从母亲身边带走,送往军营(agoge)开始接受训练。在那里,他们被磨练多年,为战争生活做好准备,并被教导如何忍受痛苦和磨难。训练如此艰苦,以至于普鲁塔克评论道:“他们是世界上唯一一群在战争训练中反而能得到喘息机会的人。”
Around this time, the celebration and glorification of the warrior archetype crossed the chasm into sport. While human beings had engaged in games and shows of athletic prowess since the dawn of civilized society, it was the Olympic Games, a creation of the ancient Greeks, that most notably brought together athletes from a wide swath of territories and city-states to compete against one another for glory in a public forum. The first recorded account of the Olympics, in 776 B.C., featured a single 192-meter race. [4] The event was created as a festival to honor Zeus, the most powerful of the gods, and held at Olympia, a sacred site in southern Greece. The games were held every four years and the number and diversity of events gradually increased. The importance of exercise and diet for physical health and vitality was espoused by famed Greek philosophers. Plato wrote, “Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being,” and Aristotle added, “For both excessive and insufficient exercise destroy one’s strength, and both eating and drinking too much or too little destroy health, whereas the right quantity produces, increases and preserves it.”
大约在同一时期,对武士原型的颂扬和赞美跨越鸿沟,延伸至体育运动领域。虽然自文明社会诞生之初,人类就参与各种游戏和竞技表演,但真正将来自广大地区和城邦的运动员聚集在一起,在公共舞台上为荣耀而战的,是古希腊人创立的奥林匹克运动会。据记载,最早的奥林匹克运动会发生在公元前776年,当时仅进行了一项192米的赛跑。[4] 这项赛事最初是为了纪念众神之王宙斯而设立的节日,举办地点位于希腊南部的圣地奥林匹亚。此后,奥运会每四年举办一次,比赛项目的数量和种类也逐渐增加。著名的希腊哲学家们也强调了运动和饮食对身体健康和活力的重要性。柏拉图写道:“缺乏活动会破坏每个人的良好状态。”亚里士多德补充道:“过度运动和运动不足都会破坏人的力量,吃喝过多或过少都会破坏健康,而适量的饮食则能产生、增强和保持健康。”
The Olympic Games slowly faded after Greece was conquered by the Roman Empire in the second century B.C., and the celebration and cultural importance of the human physical form fell out of favor with the rise of Christianity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. Author Maria Popova summarized the period: “Under Christian doctrine, the body was too sinful an instrument to be afforded public celebration or private homilies. The cerebral solemnity of the cathedral replaced the joyful physicality of the gymnasium, where crowds had once gathered as much to tone their bodies as to hone their minds on Plato and Aristotle’s philosophy lectures…and so it is that the notion of exercise fell out of the popular imagination for a millennium.” [5]
公元前二世纪希腊被罗马帝国征服后,奥林匹克运动会逐渐衰落。随着基督教的兴起和中世纪的到来,人们对人体形态的庆祝和文化重视也逐渐失宠。作家玛丽亚·波波娃总结了这一时期:“在基督教教义下,身体被视为罪恶的工具,不宜用于公开庆祝或私下布道。大教堂的庄严肃穆取代了体育馆的欢乐运动,人们曾经聚集在体育馆,既是为了锻炼身体,也是为了聆听柏拉图和亚里士多德的哲学讲座……因此,运动的概念在长达一千年的时间里从大众的想象中消失了。”[5]
This period of disfavor lasted for about a thousand years, right up to the end of the fifteenth century, when Leonardo, Michelangelo, and a band of Renaissance humanists breathed new life into the study and importance of the physical human form. Interestingly, it was a lesser-known Italian physician named Girolamo Mercuriale who, in 1573, published De arte gymnastica (or The Art of Exercise ) and formally sparked the modern health and wellness movement that has persisted across the centuries. In this work, Mercuriale wrote, “I have taken as my province to restore to the light the art of exercise, once so highly esteemed, and now plunged into deepest obscurity and utterly perished…. Why no one else has taken this on, I dare not say. I know only that this is a task of both maximum utility and enormous labor.” His book, which drew upon years of study of the ancient Greek and Roman practices around exercise and diet, served as a primary influence for those pushing the importance of physical education in Europe hundreds of years later.
这种不被重视的时期持续了大约一千年,直到十五世纪末,达芬奇、米开朗基罗和一群文艺复兴时期的人文主义者才重新唤起了人们对人体形态研究及其重要性的关注。有趣的是,一位名不见经传的意大利医生吉罗拉莫·梅尔库里亚莱(Girolamo Mercuriale)于1573年出版了《体操艺术》(De arte gymnastica),正式开启了延续数个世纪的现代健康养生运动。梅尔库里亚莱在书中写道:“我致力于复兴曾经备受推崇、如今却已彻底湮没于历史长河中的体操艺术……至于为何无人接手,我不敢妄加评论。我只知道,这是一项意义重大且耗费巨大精力的任务。”他的著作取材于多年来对古希腊和古罗马运动和饮食习俗的研究,对数百年后在欧洲大力倡导体育教育的人们产生了主要影响。
Another subtle acceleration occurred in 1859 when Charles Darwin published his On the Origin of Species and commented on the mechanisms of his theory of natural selection. An English polymath named Herbert Spencer coined the phrase survival of the fittest in his own summary of Darwin’s work shortly thereafter. Suddenly, physical fitness entered mainstream culture as a status symbol—it was a way to measure oneself against others and rise through the visible or invisible ranks of the primal survival hierarchy.
1859年,查尔斯·达尔文发表了《物种起源》,阐述了他的自然选择理论机制,这标志着又一次微妙的加速发展。不久之后,一位名叫赫伯特·斯宾塞的英国博学家在总结达尔文的著作时,创造了“适者生存”这一短语。突然间,体能作为一种身份象征进入了主流文化——它成为衡量自身与他人差距、并在原始生存等级中(无论显性还是隐性)提升地位的一种方式。
The Olympics, a sporting tradition long forgotten, were revived through the efforts of a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a staunch advocate of the physical education traditions and movement. In 1892, he proposed the idea of an international athletic competition to be held every four years, and in 1894, it received approval from the International Olympic Committee, the governing organization of the Olympic Games that still exists today. In 1896, the Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, with participation from 280 all-male athletes from twelve nations across forty-three events. [6] By the time of the eighth games, in 1924, their expanded popularity and scale were evident, with 3,000 athletes (male and female!) from forty-four nations participating. In 2004, the Olympics returned to Athens for the first time since their revival in 1896. Eleven thousand athletes from 201 countries competed in the events. One was an American swimmer named Michael Phelps who won a record-tying eight medals and went on to become the most decorated Olympian of all time; another was a little-known Jamaican runner named Usain Bolt, who failed to make the finals in his Olympic debut but would go on to be considered the greatest sprinter of all time.
奥林匹克运动会这项一度被遗忘的体育传统,在法国人皮埃尔·德·顾拜旦男爵的努力下得以复兴。顾拜旦男爵是体育教育传统和运动的坚定倡导者。1892年,他提出每四年举办一次国际体育赛事的构想,并于1894年获得国际奥委会的批准。国际奥委会是奥林匹克运动会的管理机构,至今仍然存在。1896年,第一届奥运会在希腊雅典举行,来自12个国家的280名男子运动员参加了43个项目的比赛。[6] 到1924年第八届奥运会时,奥运会的受欢迎程度和规模都显著扩大,共有来自44个国家的3000名运动员(包括男女运动员!)参赛。2004年,奥运会自1896年复兴以来首次重返雅典,来自201个国家的11000名运动员参加了比赛。其中一位是美国游泳运动员迈克尔·菲尔普斯,他赢得了创纪录的八枚奖牌,并成为有史以来获得奖牌最多的奥运选手;另一位是鲜为人知的牙买加短跑运动员尤塞恩·博尔特,他在奥运会首秀中未能进入决赛,但后来被认为是史上最伟大的短跑运动员。
Sport and the obsession with human physical performance had officially become part of the cultural zeitgeist.
体育运动和对人类身体机能的痴迷已经正式成为文化思潮的一部分。
At present, it’s hard to go a single day without encountering a new health or wellness fad promising the youth, strength, beauty, or vigor we have been wired to seek. From diet programs like Atkins (carbohydrates are the devil!), South Beach (eat foods with a low glycemic index), keto (carbohydrates are the devil again!), vegan (eat only plants), and carnivore (eat only meat) to exercise regimens like CrossFit, Peloton, and hot yoga, we are bombarded by information and snazzy marketing, all claiming to be the best.
如今,几乎每天都会涌现出新的健康养生潮流,承诺能带给我们梦寐以求的青春、力量、美貌或活力。从阿特金斯饮食法(碳水化合物是魔鬼!)、南滩饮食法(食用低升糖指数食物)、生酮饮食法(碳水化合物又是魔鬼!)、纯素饮食法(只吃植物)和食肉饮食法(只吃肉),到 CrossFit、Peloton 和高温瑜伽等健身方式,我们每天都被铺天盖地的信息和花哨的营销手段所包围,所有这些都声称自己是最好的。
The health and wellness industry has become big business. In 2020, the Global Wellness Institute estimated that the global wellness economy had reached $4.4 trillion, [7] with industries that include:
健康产业已发展成为一项庞大的产业。2020年,全球健康研究所估计,全球健康经济规模已达4.4万亿美元[7],涵盖的产业包括:
Personal care and beauty: $955 billion
个人护理和美容:9550亿美元
Healthy eating, nutrition, and weight loss: $946 billion
健康饮食、营养和减肥:9460亿美元
Physical activity: $738 billion
体育活动:7380亿美元
Wellness tourism: $436 billion
健康旅游:4360亿美元
With each new fitness gadget promising perfect abs and each new miracle health food promising youthful vigor, we are forced into a silent battle against the overwhelmingly strong and savvy energy of the world’s best marketers. Their jobs depend on convincing you that you need all of it to live a healthy, happy life—and they are very, very good at their jobs. They shine a light on the imperfections of your current world, show you what your perfect world could look like, and then position Gadget X or Health Food Y as the only thing standing between you and that perfect world.
每一款新的健身器材都承诺能帮你练出完美腹肌,每一种新的神奇保健食品都承诺能让你重返青春活力,我们被迫与世界上最顶尖的营销人员展开一场无声的较量。他们的工作就是说服你,你需要这些东西才能拥有健康快乐的生活——而他们在这方面确实非常出色。他们会让你看到你当下世界的种种不完美,向你展示你理想中的完美世界,然后将某款健身器材或保健食品包装成你通往完美世界的唯一障碍。
Let’s cut straight to it: It’s (mostly) nonsense.
咱们开门见山地说:这(大部分)都是胡说八道。
The Pareto principle—more informally called the 80/20 rule—refers to the idea that 80 percent of outcomes come from 20 percent of causes. It originated with Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist who observed that 80 percent of the land in his native Italy was owned by just 20 percent of the population. When he later noticed that 80 percent of the peas in his garden came from just 20 percent of the pea pods, Pareto hypothesized that this was something of a “magic” distribution in nature.
帕累托法则——更通俗的说法是80/20法则——指的是80%的结果是由20%的原因造成的。它起源于意大利经济学家维尔弗雷多·帕累托。他观察到,在他家乡意大利,80%的土地仅由20%的人口拥有。后来,当他发现自家花园里80%的豌豆仅来自20%的豌豆荚时,帕累托推测这是一种自然界中“神奇”的分布现象。
Put simply, the 80/20 rule says that a small number of inputs drive most of the outputs.
简单来说,80/20 法则指出,少数输入可以驱动大部分输出。
The market around the entire health and wellness space follows this rule: Most of the results are driven by a few simple inputs—completing basic daily movement, consuming whole, unprocessed foods, and prioritizing sleep and recovery.
整个健康和保健领域的市场都遵循这一规律:大多数结果都源于一些简单的投入——完成基本的日常运动、食用完整的、未加工的食物以及重视睡眠和恢复。
This is not to say that there’s zero value in the seemingly endless list of health products, services, foods, and beverages—I’ve used, tested, and enjoyed many of them on my own journey—but it is to say that they should always be secondary and never confused with the primary building blocks of Physical Wealth.
这并不是说看似无穷无尽的健康产品、服务、食品和饮料毫无价值——我自己在追求健康的道路上也使用、测试并享受过其中的许多产品——而是说它们应该始终是次要的,永远不要与物质财富的主要组成部分混淆。
In a world that wants you to chase everything everywhere all at once, you must narrow your focus. Chasing the secondary before finishing the primary is playing the game on hard mode. To avoid this, you must develop a baseline understanding of the core pillars that unlock easy mode and perform them consistently in your journey to Physical Wealth.
在这个恨不得你同时追逐一切的世界里,你必须缩小关注范围。在完成主要目标之前就去追求次要目标,无异于玩高难度模式。为了避免这种情况,你必须对开启“轻松模式”的核心支柱有基本的了解,并在通往物质财富的道路上始终如一地践行这些支柱。
Bryan Johnson is a highly successful entrepreneur. In 2013, he sold the payment-processing company he’d founded to PayPal for $800 million. For most people, this would have been the end of the story: An entrepreneur achieves his dream of building a transformative company, sells that company for a life-changing amount of money, and sails off into the sunset.
布莱恩·约翰逊是一位非常成功的企业家。2013年,他将自己创立的支付处理公司以8亿美元的价格卖给了PayPal。对大多数人来说,故事到此就结束了:一位企业家实现了创建一家变革性公司的梦想,以一笔足以改变人生的巨款出售了这家公司,然后功成身退。
But Bryan Johnson is not most people.
但布莱恩·约翰逊并非普通人。
The forty-five-year-old is spending over two million dollars a year on a single, focused pursuit: not dying.
这位 45 岁的男子每年花费超过 200 万美元,专注于一项单一的目标:活下去。
According to Johnson, every human has a chronological age (the number of years since birth) and a biological age (the adjusted age of various cells, tissues, and organs based on their relative physiological appearance and performance). While you cannot change your chronological age, your biological age is influenced by your genes as well as a range of controllable factors, including your environment, diet, exercise, recovery, and sleep habits. Beginning in 2021, Bryan Johnson began collaborating with a team of over thirty doctors and experts to not just slow but actually reverse the progress of his biological age. The idea was to use Johnson as a human guinea pig for a long list of monitoring, treatments, and interventions, ranging from the well-established principles of medical orthodoxy to the farthest-out concepts on the outer fringes of longevity and health research.
约翰逊认为,每个人都有实际年龄(出生至今的年数)和生物年龄(根据各种细胞、组织和器官的相对生理状态和功能调整后的年龄)。虽然实际年龄无法改变,但生物年龄受基因以及一系列可控因素的影响,包括环境、饮食、运动、恢复和睡眠习惯。从2021年开始,布莱恩·约翰逊与一个由三十多位医生和专家组成的团队合作,旨在不仅延缓,而且逆转其生物年龄的增长。他们的想法是,将约翰逊作为人体试验对象,进行一系列监测、治疗和干预,涵盖从成熟的医学正统原则到长寿和健康研究前沿的最前沿概念。
The program, which Johnson and the team call Project Blueprint, is freely accessible on his website, and Johnson posts regular updates on his latest testing, experiments, and results on social media pages. At the time of this writing, he reaches millions of followers around the world.
约翰逊和他的团队将这个项目称为“蓝图计划”,该项目可在他的网站上免费获取。约翰逊也会定期在社交媒体页面上发布最新的测试、实验和结果。截至撰写本文时,他在全球拥有数百万粉丝。
Among other things, Johnson’s testing regimen includes:
约翰逊的检测方案包括:
Checking daily vital signs, body weight, BMI, waking temperature, and sleep performance
每日监测生命体征、体重、BMI、晨起体温和睡眠情况
Regular testing of biofluids (including blood, stool, urine, and saliva)
定期检测生物体液(包括血液、粪便、尿液和唾液)
Regular full-body MRI scans, ultrasounds, colonoscopies, and bone-density scans
定期进行全身核磁共振扫描、超声波检查、结肠镜检查和骨密度扫描
He starts every day with a routine that has become the stuff of legend among biohackers:
他每天都以一套在生物黑客圈内广为流传的固定流程开始新的一天:
Wake up at 5:00 a.m. , take vital signs, and consume first round of morning supplements.
早上5点起床,测量生命体征,并服用第一轮晨间补充剂。
Conduct morning light therapy and meditation.
进行晨间光疗和冥想。
Make and drink pre-workout concoction; consume second round of morning supplements.
制作并饮用运动前饮品;服用第二轮晨间补充剂。
Perform rigorous workout involving a variety of movements and heart-rate zones.
进行包含多种动作和心率区间的高强度锻炼。
Take shower and perform skin-care routine.
洗澡并进行护肤程序。
Eat post-workout meal (vegetables, lentils, nuts, and other vegan ingredients cooked on the stove).
锻炼后食用餐食(蔬菜、扁豆、坚果和其他素食食材在炉子上烹制)。
Conduct more light therapy and consume third round of morning supplements.
进行更多光疗,并服用第三轮晨间补充剂。
Johnson’s diet is as regimented as his mornings; his meals are eaten during a feeding window from 5:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and consist of four components:
约翰逊的饮食和他每天早晨的作息一样规律;他的餐食在早上 5:00 到 11:00 的进食窗口期内食用,由四部分组成:
The Green Giant: Pre-workout morning concoction of water, spermidine (greens powder), amino acids, creatine, collagen peptides, cocoa flavanols, and cinnamon
绿色巨人:锻炼前早晨的混合饮品,成分包括水、亚精胺(绿色粉末)、氨基酸、肌酸、胶原蛋白肽、可可黄烷醇和肉桂。
Super Veggie: High-protein vegan combination of black lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms, and a variety of accompaniments, including garlic, ginger root, and more
超级蔬菜:高蛋白纯素组合,包含黑扁豆、西兰花、花椰菜、蘑菇以及多种配菜,例如大蒜、生姜等等。
Nutty Pudding: Pudding rich in healthy fats composed of macadamia nut milk, macadamia nuts, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, Brazil nuts, cocoa powder, berries, cherries, and more
坚果布丁:富含健康脂肪的布丁,由澳洲坚果奶、澳洲坚果、核桃、奇亚籽、亚麻籽、巴西坚果、可可粉、浆果、樱桃等多种食材制成。
A Variable Third Meal: Generally a vegetable-heavy salad or stuffed sweet potato
第三餐(种类不固定):通常是蔬菜沙拉或烤红薯。
While researching his unique (okay, extreme!) approach, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Johnson at his home. Given my background as an athlete and my personal interest in health and wellness, I was excited to meet the man who was pushing the public discourse on these topics into new territory. It was more than a personal-passion visit; as someone whose mission is to deconstruct the complex and make it simple and accessible, I wanted to see if it was possible to do that with Johnson’s protocols and routines. This mission, it turns out, is one that resonates with Johnson, who is going to extraordinary lengths to distill his ideas into free content that he shares across his social media platforms.
在研究他那独特(好吧,或许有点极端!)的方法时,我有幸在约翰逊家中与他共度了一个下午。鉴于我自身的运动员背景以及对健康和养生的浓厚兴趣,我很高兴能见到这位正在将这些话题的公共讨论推向新领域的先驱。这不仅仅是一次出于个人兴趣的拜访;作为一名致力于化繁为简、让复杂问题变得易于理解的人,我想看看约翰逊的方案和日常习惯是否也能做到这一点。事实证明,约翰逊也认同这一理念,他不遗余力地将自己的想法提炼成免费内容,并在社交媒体平台上分享。
During the afternoon, I got a glimpse into his daily life, tried his Nutty Pudding (delicious), and ran through a few of his fitness and recovery protocols. I came to appreciate that his approach is built on a few simple tenets:
那天下午,我得以一窥他的日常生活,品尝了他做的坚果布丁(味道好极了),还了解了他的一些健身和恢复方案。我逐渐意识到,他的方法建立在几个简单的原则之上:
His rigorous training regimen is built on a basic tenet of daily movement.
他严格的训练计划建立在每日运动的基本原则之上。
His detailed eating plan is built on a basic tenet of proper nutrition.
他制定的详细饮食计划建立在合理营养的基本原则之上。
His disciplined sleep routines, meditation, and other therapies are built on a basic tenet of thoughtful recovery.
他严谨的睡眠习惯、冥想和其他疗法都建立在深思熟虑的康复这一基本原则之上。
I also spent time understanding the routines of other top physical performers across different arenas, including professional athletes and members of the elite branches of the armed forces. Everywhere I looked, I found the same underlying principles: For all the complexity on the surface, there was a common simplicity in the foundation, three core pillars that every routine was built around.
我还花时间了解其他领域顶尖体能运动员的训练方法,包括职业运动员和精锐部队成员。我发现,无论他们如何训练,都遵循着相同的基本原则:表面上看似复杂,但其基础却十分简单,所有训练都围绕着三个核心支柱展开。
They are the three controllable pillars of Physical Wealth:
它们是物质财富的三大可控支柱:
Movement: Daily body movement through a combination of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training; activities to promote stability and flexibility
运动:每日进行身体活动,包括有氧运动和阻力训练;以及促进稳定性和柔韧性的活动。
Nutrition: Consumption of primarily whole, unprocessed foods to meet major nutrient needs, supplementing as necessary to meet any micronutrient needs
营养:主要食用未经加工的全食物以满足主要营养素需求,必要时补充微量营养素以满足任何微量营养素需求。
Recovery: High-quality, consistent sleep performance and other recovery-promoting activities
恢复:高质量、稳定的睡眠以及其他促进恢复的活动
While the three pillars of Physical Wealth are simple, they can feel intimidating, particularly when you consider all the detailed information available on each pillar and the extremes to which people seem to take them.
虽然物质财富的三大支柱很简单,但它们可能会让人感到畏惧,特别是当你考虑到每个支柱都有详细的信息,以及人们似乎对它们采取的极端做法时。
To combat this intimidation, I find it useful to leverage a video-game analogy: There are levels within each pillar, from a baseline Level 1 to an expert Level 3. If you are a new player entering the game at Level 1, there is no need to compare yourself to Bryan Johnson (who is attempting to operate on Level 100 of this 1 to 3 scale!). Instead, focus on executing Level 1 consistently before leveling up to Level 2 and eventually Level 3.
为了克服这种畏惧心理,我发现用电子游戏来类比很有帮助:每个支柱下都有不同的级别,从基础的1级到专家的3级。如果你是一个新手,刚进入游戏,级别是1级,那就没必要把自己和布莱恩·约翰逊(他可是试图在这个1到3级的等级体系中达到100级!)比较。相反,你应该专注于稳定地完成1级的任务,然后再逐步提升到2级,最终达到3级。
Bryan Johnson may be spending two million dollars a year to live on the cutting edge of health and longevity practices, but you don’t need that to build a life of Physical Wealth. You don’t need a fancy, complex routine to achieve the outcomes you want—you just need to ground yourself in these three pillars. As you measure Physical Wealth as part of your new scoreboard, they provide a blueprint for the right action to build it. By developing an understanding of these pillars and the high-leverage systems to affect them, you can begin to create the right outcomes.
布莱恩·约翰逊每年花费两百万美元,致力于追求最前沿的健康长寿理念,但你无需如此挥霍也能拥有充实的人生。你无需繁复的计划就能达成目标——你只需扎根于这三大支柱。当你将“充实的人生”纳入新的衡量标准时,它们将为你提供构建人生的正确行动蓝图。通过深入理解这三大支柱以及影响它们的高效系统,你就能开始创造理想的人生。
Movement is nothing new to human culture, but the scientific understanding of movement’s role in allowing us to live long, healthy lives has accelerated in the most recent decade.
运动对于人类文化来说并不新鲜,但近十年来,人们对运动在延长寿命、保持健康生活方面所起的作用的科学认识有了显著提高。
In his New York Times bestselling book Outlive, Peter Attia focuses on the astounding benefits of movement. “The data are unambiguous: exercise not only delays actual death but also prevents both cognitive and physical decline better than any other intervention. It is the single most potent tool we have in the health-span-enhancing tool kit—and that includes nutrition, sleep, and meds.”
在《纽约时报》畅销书《长寿之道》(Outlive)中,彼得·阿提亚着重阐述了运动的惊人益处。“数据明确无误:运动不仅能延缓死亡,而且比任何其他干预措施都能更好地预防认知和身体机能衰退。它是我们延长健康寿命工具箱中最有效的工具——甚至超过了营养、睡眠和药物。”
In a 2012 paper published in the Journal of Aging Research, researchers found that all-cause mortality was reduced by a striking 30 to 35 percent in the physically active as compared to the physically inactive. [8] In a more recent study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, researchers looked at thirty years of medical records and mortality data from over 116,000 adults. They found that people who followed minimum guidelines for physical activity (moderate-intensity activity for 150 to 300 minutes per week or vigorous-intensity activity for 75 to 150 minutes per week) reduced their risk of early death by up to 21 percent; those who exercised two to four times these minimum levels lowered their risk by up to 31 percent. [9]
2012年发表在《老年研究杂志》(Journal of Aging Research)上的一篇论文显示,与不运动的人相比,积极运动的人全因死亡率显著降低了30%至35%。[8] 近期发表在《循环》(Circulation,美国心脏协会会刊)上的一项研究中,研究人员分析了超过11.6万名成年人30年的医疗记录和死亡率数据。他们发现,遵循最低运动指南(每周进行150至300分钟的中等强度运动或每周进行75至150分钟的高强度运动)的人,其过早死亡风险降低了高达21%;而运动量达到最低标准两到四倍的人,其风险则降低了高达31%。[9]
In other words, a little bit of exercise goes a long way and a lot of exercise goes a longer way.
换句话说,少量运动就能带来很大益处,大量运动则会带来更显著的益处。
Within the pillar of movement, there are three primary subcategories of training to understand (each with its own set of benefits for your overall health, performance, and appearance):
在运动这一支柱下,有三个主要的训练子类别需要了解(每个子类别都有其自身的一系列益处,可以改善您的整体健康、表现和外貌):
The term cardiovascular means anything related to the heart or blood vessels. Cardiovascular training strengthens these systems through movement.
心血管系统是指与心脏或血管相关的任何系统。心血管训练通过运动来增强这些系统的功能。
The two types of cardiovascular training to understand:
需要了解的两种心血管训练类型:
Aerobic: Low intensity; relies on the oxygen you breathe to sustain activity
有氧运动:低强度;依靠呼吸产生的氧气来维持运动。
Anaerobic: High intensity; relies on the breakdown of sugars to sustain activity
无氧运动:高强度;依靠糖类分解来维持运动。
In simple terms, during aerobic cardiovascular training, you breathe harder to take in more oxygen, and your heart pumps faster so it can efficiently deliver oxygen-rich blood to the muscles. Regular aerobic cardiovascular training strengthens this entire process, meaning your heart and lungs become more effective at doing their jobs. Common forms of aerobic training include hiking, biking, fast walking, jogging, swimming, and rowing. Aerobic cardiovascular training is a great entry point for those new to movement, as it can be effectively completed at a conversational pace (a pace where you can hold a conversation, sometimes referred to as zone 2 training ). This means you can have company and avoid the intense discomfort that can result from higher-intensity exercises if you’re just starting out.
简单来说,有氧心肺训练时,你会呼吸更急促以吸入更多氧气,心脏也会加快跳动,以便更有效地将富氧血液输送到肌肉。规律的有氧心肺训练可以强化整个过程,这意味着你的心脏和肺部功能会更加高效。常见的有氧训练包括徒步、骑自行车、快走、慢跑、游泳和划船。对于运动新手来说,有氧心肺训练是一个很好的入门选择,因为它可以以轻松交谈的速度进行(这种速度可以让你轻松地进行对话,有时被称为第二区间训练)。这意味着你可以和朋友一起运动,避免初学者在进行高强度运动时可能遇到的剧烈不适。
During higher-intensity anaerobic cardiovascular training, your lungs cannot provide enough oxygen to meet your body’s demands, so the body breaks down stored sugars for energy. Anaerobic training is sometimes referred to as zone 5 training and typically involves short bursts of intense activity (biking, rowing, running, lifting, and so on) with extended recovery periods in between. Anaerobic training is significantly more uncomfortable and should be considered only after you achieve consistency in basic aerobic activities.
在进行高强度无氧心肺训练时,肺部无法提供足够的氧气来满足身体的需求,因此身体会分解储存的糖分来获取能量。无氧训练有时也被称为第五区训练,通常包括短时间的高强度运动(例如骑自行车、划船、跑步、举重等),运动之间穿插较长的恢复期。无氧训练的不适感明显更强,只有在能够稳定地进行基础有氧运动之后才应考虑进行。
Strength training is the use of resistance (for instance, weights and bands) to build overall muscle, power, and strength. The development and preservation of muscle, power, and strength is critical for a healthy, enjoyable life. According to Andy Galpin, a professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton, and an expert in the science of performance, “Resistance exercise and strength training is the number one way to combat neuromuscular aging.”
力量训练是指利用阻力(例如,哑铃和弹力带)来增强肌肉力量和爆发力。肌肉力量和爆发力的发展和保持对于健康快乐的生活至关重要。加州州立大学富勒顿分校运动机能学教授、运动表现科学专家安迪·加尔平表示:“阻力训练和力量训练是对抗神经肌肉衰老的最佳方法。”
Strength training can be done in a variety of forms depending on access and skill level, among them body-weight exercises (push-ups, pull-ups, squats), free weights (dumbbells, kettlebells), compound barbell movements (squats, dead lifting, bench-pressing, overhead pressing), and machines (equipment that keeps the user in a guided range of motion to target specific muscles).
力量训练可以根据条件和技能水平以多种形式进行,其中包括自重训练(俯卧撑、引体向上、深蹲)、自由重量训练(哑铃、壶铃)、复合杠铃动作训练(深蹲、硬拉、卧推、过头推举)以及器械训练(一种能够引导用户在特定运动范围内进行训练以锻炼特定肌肉的设备)。
For most beginners, focusing on proper technique with basic body-weight exercises, machines, and free weights will provide a solid foundation. As you advance in your strength and training capacity, you can progress to more advanced movements and add weight to increase the intensity.
对于大多数初学者来说,专注于正确的动作技巧,进行基础的自重训练、器械训练和自由重量训练,就能打下坚实的基础。随着力量和训练能力的提升,你可以逐步进行更高级的动作,并增加负重来提高训练强度。
Stability is a foundation of proper movement, as it enables the body to move and deliver force efficiently and effectively. According to Dr. Attia, “[Stability] is the cornerstone upon which your strength is delivered, your aerobic performance is delivered, and your anaerobic performance is delivered. And it’s the way that you do so safely.”
稳定性是正确运动的基础,它使身体能够高效、有效地运动和发力。阿提亚博士表示:“稳定性是力量、有氧运动能力和无氧运动能力发挥的基石,也是安全发挥这些能力的保障。”
Flexibility training employs static and dynamic stretching to improve range of motion in your body’s muscles and joints. Recent studies have shown that static stretching provides a range of health benefits, including improved balance, posture, and physical performance and reduced pain and inflammation. [10]
柔韧性训练采用静态和动态拉伸来改善身体肌肉和关节的活动范围。最近的研究表明,静态拉伸可以带来一系列健康益处,包括改善平衡、姿势和身体机能,以及减轻疼痛和炎症。[10]
You can build stability and flexibility through dedicated stretching and movement routines and dynamic activities like yoga and Pilates.
你可以通过专门的拉伸和运动练习以及瑜伽和普拉提等动态活动来增强稳定性和灵活性。
The three levels of the movement pillar:
运动支柱的三个层次:
Level 1: Move your body for at least thirty minutes per day.
第一级:每天至少运动三十分钟。
Level 2: Move your body for at least thirty minutes per day; engage in two to three specific cardiovascular training sessions per week and one to two resistance-training sessions per week.
第二级:每天至少运动三十分钟;每周进行两到三次特定的有氧运动训练和一到两次阻力训练。
Level 3: Move your body for at least thirty minutes per day; engage in three or more cardiovascular training sessions per week (for a total of at least 120 minutes of aerobic training and 20 minutes of anaerobic training) and at least three resistance-training sessions per week incorporating stability and flexibility training.
级别 3:每天至少运动 30 分钟;每周进行三次或三次以上的有氧训练(总共至少 120 分钟的有氧训练和 20 分钟的无氧训练),以及每周至少进行三次力量训练,包括稳定性训练和柔韧性训练。
The development of a thoughtful movement routine to cover the three major subcategories is a goal to work toward. The guide at the end of this section provides an example routine (with links to additional videos and tutorials available on the website). Such a routine will allow you to engage the three primary subcategories of movement training to achieve your short-term aims around performance and appearance and build toward your long-term aims around health and longevity. Building a movement routine today will allow you to live a better present and prepare for a better future.
制定一套涵盖三大主要运动子类别的周密运动计划是值得努力的目标。本节末尾的指南提供了一个示例计划(并附有网站上其他视频和教程的链接)。这样的计划将帮助您全面掌握运动训练的三大主要子类别,从而实现您在运动表现和体型方面的短期目标,并逐步达成您在健康和长寿方面的长期目标。从今天开始建立一套运动计划,将使您拥有更美好的现在,并为更美好的未来做好准备。
Every single day that you delay is a missed opportunity that you’ll never get back. The present and future you imagine are within reach—but only if you take action now.
你每拖延一天,就错失一次永远无法挽回的机会。你所憧憬的现在和未来触手可及——但前提是你必须立即行动。
For decades, nutrition has been a focus of the mainstream lexicon of physical performance and appearance, but for many of the wrong reasons. Fad diets with extreme principles pushed by savvy marketers have dominated the cultural understanding of nutrition over the years, but contrary to what these expert marketers might tell you, proper nutrition is quite simple. You don’t need any extreme or complex regimens to build this pillar in your life.
几十年来,营养一直是主流社会关注的焦点,尤其是在体能和外貌方面,但很多时候人们关注营养的原因并不正确。精明的营销人员推崇各种极端的节食方法,这些方法多年来主导了人们对营养的认知。然而,与这些营销专家的说法相反,正确的营养其实很简单。你不需要任何极端或复杂的方案就能在生活中建立起健康的基石。
There are four core principles that provide a strong foundation of nutrition:
营养学有四大核心原则:
This is the total number of calories you consume in a day. Your overall caloric intake determines the baseline outcomes of your body weight and muscle development. A surplus of calories (consuming more than you use) leads to weight gain; a deficit (consuming less than you use) leads to weight loss; a balance (consuming exactly what you use) leads to weight stability.
这是你一天摄入的总热量。你的总热量摄入决定了你的体重和肌肉发育的基础状况。热量过剩(摄入量大于消耗量)会导致体重增加;热量不足(摄入量小于消耗量)会导致体重减轻;热量平衡(摄入量与消耗量相等)则有助于保持体重稳定。
Macronutrients (often referred to as macros) are the major nutrients your body needs to function.
宏量营养素(通常简称为宏量营养素)是人体正常运转所需的主要营养素。
The three macronutrients are:
三大主要营养素是:
Proteins: The building blocks necessary for muscle growth, tissue repair, and more
蛋白质:肌肉生长、组织修复等所必需的组成部分
Carbohydrates: A primary source of energy for our bodies
碳水化合物:人体的主要能量来源
Fats: A source of energy that supports cell growth, organ health, and more
脂肪:一种能量来源,能够支持细胞生长、器官健康等等。
Two basic rules that everyone should follow with respect to macros:
关于宏,每个人都应该遵循两条基本规则:
Prioritize protein: Protein is essential for all body functions, but many under-consume it. Have a solid source of protein at every single meal.
优先摄入蛋白质:蛋白质对所有身体机能都至关重要,但许多人摄入不足。每餐都要摄入充足的蛋白质。
Focus on cleanliness of source: Rather than adopting a dogmatic view on the specific balance of the different macronutrients, focus on the cleanliness of the sources of macronutrients. This means getting the macronutrients from primarily whole, unprocessed sources (foods in their natural state that have not been modified or had synthetic ingredients added to them). A good rule of thumb is to eat foods that have a minimal number of ingredients, as more ingredients typically indicate synthetic processing.
关注营养来源的纯净度:与其教条地追求不同宏量营养素的具体比例,不如关注宏量营养素来源的纯净度。这意味着主要从完整、未经加工的食物(未经任何加工或添加合成成分的天然食物)中获取宏量营养素。一个好的经验法则是选择配料最少的食物,因为配料越多通常意味着经过了合成加工。
Micronutrients are the vitamins and minerals that are essential to healthy body functioning, disease prevention, and overall well-being but are needed in much smaller quantities than macronutrients. This includes iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, iodine, folate, and zinc, among others. Micronutrients cannot be created in the body, so they must be consumed through diet or supplements.
微量营养素是指对维持身体健康、预防疾病和促进整体健康至关重要的维生素和矿物质,但人体对它们的需要量远低于宏量营养素。这些微量营养素包括铁、维生素A、维生素D、碘、叶酸和锌等。人体无法自行合成微量营养素,因此必须通过饮食或补充剂摄入。
We all need water to survive, yet many of us are chronically dehydrated. The National Academy of Medicine recommends a baseline of thirteen cups (about three liters) of fluid per day for men and nine cups (about two liters) of fluid per day for women. These figures will increase based on your activity level and should be considered a low-end target for hydration.
我们都需要水才能生存,但许多人却长期处于脱水状态。美国国家医学科学院建议男性每天摄入13杯(约3升)液体,女性每天摄入9杯(约2升)液体。这些数值会根据您的活动水平而增加,并且应该被视为补水的最低目标。
The three levels of the nutrition pillar:
营养支柱的三个层次:
Level 1: Eat whole, unprocessed foods 80 percent of the time. Note: As a frame of reference, assuming you eat three meals per day, this means that roughly seventeen of your twenty-one meals each week are comprised of whole, unprocessed foods.
第一级:80% 的时间食用天然、未加工的食物。注:作为参考,假设您每天吃三餐,这意味着您每周 21 餐中大约有 17 餐是由天然、未加工的食物组成。
Level 2: Eat whole, unprocessed foods 90 percent of the time. Prioritize daily protein intake (about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight) and overall macronutrient consumption and make sure you get the recommended amounts of fluid.
第二阶段:90%的时间食用天然、未加工的食物。优先保证每日蛋白质摄入量(约每磅体重0.8克蛋白质)和整体宏量营养素摄入量,并确保摄入推荐量的液体。
Level 3: Eat whole, unprocessed foods 95 percent of the time. Prioritize daily protein intake (about 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight) and overall macronutrient consumption. Supplement as necessary with key micronutrients for a well-rounded nutrition profile. Get the recommended amounts of fluid.
第三阶段:95% 的时间食用天然、未加工的食物。优先保证每日蛋白质摄入量(约每磅体重 0.8 克蛋白质)和宏量营养素的摄入。根据需要补充关键微量营养素,以达到均衡的营养摄入。摄入推荐量的液体。
Nutrition is a controllable lifestyle factor with a long list of positive benefits. As the old saying goes, you are what you eat.
营养是一种可控的生活方式因素,它能带来诸多益处。正如古语所说,人如其食。
Sleep is nature’s miracle drug, yet it remains severely underappreciated and underutilized.
睡眠是大自然的灵丹妙药,然而它却仍然被严重低估和未充分利用。
In the United States, about 33 percent of adults and 75 percent of high-schoolers get insufficient sleep on a regular basis. [11] According to the 2019 Philips Global Sleep Survey, which asked eleven thousand participants from twelve countries about their sleep habits, 62 percent of adults don’t sleep well; they averaged 6.8 hours on weeknights, far short of the recommended eight hours. [12] Eighty percent of the participants said they wanted to improve the quality of their sleep.
在美国,约有 33% 的成年人和 75% 的高中生经常睡眠不足。[11] 根据 2019 年飞利浦全球睡眠调查(该调查询问了来自 12 个国家的 11000 名参与者的睡眠习惯),62% 的成年人睡眠不好;他们工作日晚上的平均睡眠时间为 6.8 小时,远低于建议的 8 小时。[12] 80% 的参与者表示他们希望改善睡眠质量。
Sleep was barely mentioned in the mainstream physical performance lexicon until 2017, when Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist at the University of California, Berkeley, published Why We Sleep, which quickly became a bestseller and changed the way millions of “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” go-getters thought about its role in their lives. According to Dr. Walker’s research, sleep deprivation has a variety of negative effects on the brain, including diminished attention, focus, concentration, and emotional control, and has been linked to a long list of diseases, including Alzheimer’s, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
在2017年之前,睡眠在主流体能训练领域几乎无人提及。直到加州大学伯克利分校的神经科学家马修·沃克出版了《我们为什么要睡觉》一书,该书迅速成为畅销书,改变了数百万“死了以后再睡”的职场人士对睡眠的看法。沃克博士的研究表明,睡眠不足会对大脑产生多种负面影响,包括注意力、专注力、集中力和情绪控制力下降,并且与多种疾病相关,例如阿尔茨海默病、心脏病、糖尿病和某些癌症。
Beyond simply mitigating these negative effects, sufficient sleep improves brain and body function. There are several critical physiological processes that occur while you sleep, including:
除了减轻这些负面影响之外,充足的睡眠还能改善大脑和身体机能。睡眠期间会发生几个重要的生理过程,包括:
Memory processing and integration, consolidation and connection of new information and learnings
记忆处理与整合、巩固与联系新信息和学习成果
Brain “cleansing” that involves the removal of toxins that accumulate during the day
大脑“清洁”是指清除白天积累的毒素。
A switch to the parasympathetic (rest and recovery) nervous system, which promotes physically restorative processes
切换到副交感神经系统(休息和恢复),促进身体的恢复过程。
Emotional restoration and mood rebalancing
情绪修复和情绪平衡
Andrew Huberman, a Stanford University neuroscientist and host of the popular Huberman Lab podcast, summarized the foundational importance of sleep on a 2023 episode of The Tim Ferriss Show : “In the absence of quality sleep over two or three days, you’re just going to fall to pieces. In the presence of quality-sufficient sleep over two or three days, you’re going to function at an amazing level. There’s a gain of function and a loss of function there. It’s not just if you sleep poorly, you function less well. If you sleep better, you function much better.” [13]
斯坦福大学神经科学家、热门播客节目“Huberman Lab”的主持人安德鲁·胡伯曼 (Andrew Huberman) 在 2023 年的《蒂姆·费里斯秀》(The Tim Ferriss Show) 节目中总结了睡眠的基础性重要性:“如果两三天没有高质量的睡眠,你就会崩溃。如果两三天睡眠充足,你的状态就会非常好。睡眠质量好坏会影响你的功能。睡眠质量好不仅会影响你的功能,还会影响你的功能。”[13]
Here are the core strategies that scientists recommend for high-quality sleep performance:
以下是科学家推荐的提高睡眠质量的核心策略:
Amount: Seven to eight hours per night, with a consistent schedule for sleep and wake times.
睡眠时长:每晚七至八小时,并保持规律的作息时间。
Environment: The sleep setting should be dark, quiet, and cool.
环境:睡眠环境应黑暗、安静、凉爽。
Routine: Winding down with a relaxing routine in the evenings promotes the release of chemical signals that it is time to sleep. Viewing morning sunlight for just five to ten minutes on a clear day or fifteen to twenty minutes on an overcast day and low-angle afternoon sunlight have both been shown to regulate the release of cortisol and the circadian rhythm (our natural chemical internal clock).
规律作息:睡前养成放松的习惯有助于释放提示睡眠的化学信号。研究表明,晴朗的早晨晒太阳五到十分钟,阴天晒太阳十五到二十分钟,以及午后低角度的阳光照射,都能调节皮质醇的释放和昼夜节律(我们体内的生物钟)。
While sleep is your primary and secondary tool for recovery, there are a range of other recovery methods, both old and new, that can be used to further improve your body’s ability to recharge once your basic sleep needs are met. These methods include, but are not limited to, cold and heat therapy, massage therapy, and meditation and breathing protocols. These additional recovery methods should be considered, experimented with, and prioritized only after the basic building blocks of recovery (sleep!) are executed with 90 percent consistency.
睡眠是恢复体力的主要和辅助手段,但除了睡眠之外,还有许多其他恢复方法,无论新旧,都可以在满足基本睡眠需求后,进一步提升身体的恢复能力。这些方法包括但不限于冷热疗法、按摩疗法以及冥想和呼吸练习。只有在基本恢复要素(睡眠!)达到90%的规律性之后,才应该考虑、尝试并优先考虑这些额外的恢复方法。
The three basic levels of the sleep and recovery pillar:
睡眠与恢复支柱的三个基本层次:
Level 1: Seven to eight hours of sleep
第一阶段:七到八小时睡眠
Level 2: Seven to eight hours of sleep in an optimized sleep environment (a dark, cool, quiet room)
第二阶段:在优化的睡眠环境(黑暗、凉爽、安静的房间)中睡七到八个小时
Level 3: Seven to eight hours of sleep in an optimized sleep environment; a fixed sleeping time window with morning and afternoon sunlight exposure to regulate circadian rhythm and improve sleep quality; additional recovery methods
第三阶段:在优化的睡眠环境中睡七到八小时;固定的睡眠时间窗口,并保证早晨和下午的阳光照射,以调节昼夜节律,提高睡眠质量;以及其他恢复方法
A thoughtful approach to sleep, rest, and recovery is essential to your performance, appearance, and longevity. The “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality is broken and, ironically, a great way to end up dead much sooner. Prioritize your recovery and you will begin to function and thrive on an entirely different level.
重视睡眠、休息和恢复对你的表现、外貌和寿命至关重要。“死了以后再睡”这种想法是错误的,讽刺的是,它反而会让你更快走向死亡。重视恢复,你的状态和活力将会提升到一个全新的水平。
You are Player 1 in your Physical Wealth video game. Start on Level 1—move your body for at least thirty minutes per day, eat whole, unprocessed foods 80 percent of the time, and sleep seven to eight hours per night—a baseline that everyone should aim for to live a healthy life in the present and set themselves up for health in the future. From there, define your goals and work your way up through the levels as you see fit. These investments pay dividends for the rest of your life.
在“身体财富”游戏中,您是1号玩家。从第一关开始——每天至少运动30分钟,80%的时间食用天然未加工食品,每晚睡7到8小时——这是每个人都应该努力达到的基本目标,以保持当下的健康生活,并为未来的健康打下基础。从这里开始,您可以根据自身情况设定目标,逐步提升等级。这些投入将让您终身受益。
With an established understanding of the three pillars, we can move to the Physical Wealth Guide, which provides the specific tools and systems to build on these pillars and cultivate a life of Physical Wealth.
在对这三大支柱有了充分的了解之后,我们可以进入物质财富指南,其中提供了具体的工具和系统,以在这些支柱的基础上构建物质财富,并培养物质财富的生活。
The Physical Wealth Guide that follows provides specific, high-leverage systems to build each of the pillars of a life of Physical Wealth. This isn’t one-size-fits-all and you shouldn’t feel compelled to read every single one; browse through and select those that feel most relevant and useful to you.
接下来的《物质财富指南》提供了一些具体的、高效的系统,帮助你构建物质财富生活的各个支柱。这并非一成不变的模式,你也不必非得阅读每一条;浏览并选择那些对你来说最相关、最有用的部分即可。
As you consider and execute the systems for success provided in the Physical Wealth Guide, use your responses to each Physical Wealth statement from the Wealth Score quiz to narrow your focus on the areas where you need to make the most progress (those where you responded strongly disagree, disagree, or neutral ).
在您考虑并执行《物质财富指南》中提供的成功系统时,请使用您在财富评分测验中对每项物质财富陈述的回答,将您的注意力集中在您需要取得最大进步的领域(您回答“强烈不同意”、“不同意”或“中立”的领域)。
I feel strong, healthy, and vital for my age.
就我的年龄而言,我感觉自己身体强壮、健康、充满活力。
I move my body regularly through a structured routine and have an active lifestyle.
我通过规律的运动来锻炼身体,并保持积极的生活方式。
I eat primarily whole, unprocessed foods.
我主要吃天然的、未经加工的食物。
I sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis and feel rested and recovered.
我通常每晚睡七个小时或更长时间,感觉休息充分,精神焕发。
I have a clear plan in place to allow me to physically thrive into my later years.
我已经制定了明确的计划,让我能够在晚年保持良好的身体状态。
A few common Physical Wealth anti-goals to avoid on your journey:
在追求物质财富的过程中,应避免以下几种常见的反向目标:
Allowing my strength and fitness to deteriorate as I pursue financial goals
为了追求财务目标,我任由自己的体力和健康状况每况愈下。
Failing to move my body daily due to other life demands
由于其他生活需求,我无法每天进行足够的运动。
Being chronically sleep-deprived and under-recovered
长期睡眠不足和恢复不足
Here are six proven systems for building Physical Wealth.
以下是六种行之有效的积累物质财富的系统。
1. The Physical Wealth Thirty-Day Challenge | Movement, Nutrition, and Recovery
1. 30天“身心财富挑战” | 运动、营养与恢复
2. A Science-Backed Morning Routine | Movement and Nutrition
2. 有科学依据的晨间习惯 | 运动与营养
3. A Level 3 Training Plan That Works | Movement
3. 一个行之有效的3级训练计划 | 运动
4. The Common-Sense Diet | Nutrition
4. 常识饮食法 | 营养
5. Nine Rules for Sleep | Recovery
5. 九条睡眠法则 | 恢复
6. Science-Backed Breathing Protocols | Recovery
6. 基于科学的呼吸方案 | 恢复
To build a life of abundant Physical Wealth, you need to create daily practices that support that end. The levels within each core pillar of Physical Wealth provide a simple structure on which you can build and advance a routine that works for you.
要想拥有充裕的物质财富,你需要养成支持这一目标的日常习惯。物质财富核心支柱的各个层级提供了一个简单的框架,你可以在此基础上构建并完善适合自己的日常习惯。
The Physical Wealth Thirty-Day Challenge is a way to jump-start your journey through disciplined daily practices for one month.
“物质财富三十天挑战”旨在通过一个月的自律日常练习,帮助你快速开启财富之旅。
How the challenge works:
挑战规则如下:
Choose a challenge level from the three options to follow. Bronze is a good place to start if you are new to these practices, while Gold is more appropriate if you consider yourself advanced.
请从三个选项中选择一个挑战级别。如果您是这些练习的新手,青铜级别是一个不错的起点;如果您认为自己已经是进阶者,黄金级别则更合适。
Use a simple spreadsheet or template to track your daily execution. You can find a tracking template at the5typesofwealth.com/tracker .
使用简单的电子表格或模板来跟踪您的每日执行情况。您可以在 the5typesofwealth.com/tracker 找到跟踪模板。
Create accountability by finding a partner (or partners) to take on the challenge with you. Make a group message or system for communicating your performance on the daily challenge. Message Done upon completion of each item on the list.
寻找一位或多位伙伴与你共同完成挑战,以此来建立责任感。建立一个群组消息或系统,用于沟通你每日挑战的完成情况。每完成一项挑战,就发送一条“完成”的消息。
Once you’ve completed one level of the challenge, you can consider taking on the next level in the following month.
完成一个级别的挑战后,你可以在下个月考虑挑战下一个级别。
The three levels of the challenge are as follows:
挑战分为以下三个级别:
Move your body for thirty minutes per day.
每天运动三十分钟。
Eat whole, unprocessed foods for 80 percent of your meals.
80% 的餐食应以天然、未加工的食物为主。
Sleep for seven hours every night.
每晚睡七个小时。
Execute a morning routine each weekday.
工作日每天早上都要坚持做一套固定的晨间习惯。
Move your body for forty-five minutes per day.
每天运动 45 分钟。
Eat whole, unprocessed foods for 90 percent of your meals.
90% 的餐食应以天然、未加工的食物为主。
Increase protein consumption (0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight is a good baseline).
增加蛋白质摄入量(每磅体重0.8克蛋白质是一个不错的基准)。
Sleep for seven to eight hours every night, with fixed sleep and wake times on weekdays.
每晚睡眠七到八小时,工作日作息时间固定。
Drink sixteen ounces of water when you wake up.
起床后喝16盎司水。
Execute a morning routine each weekday.
工作日每天早上都要坚持做一套固定的晨间习惯。
Move your body for sixty minutes per day, including at least three strength sessions per week.
每天进行 60 分钟的运动,其中每周至少进行三次力量训练。
Eat whole, unprocessed foods at 95 percent of your meals.
95% 的餐食应以天然、未加工的食物为主。
Establish and hit full macronutrient consumption targets (protein, carbs, fats).
制定并达到全部宏量营养素摄入目标(蛋白质、碳水化合物、脂肪)。
Sleep for eight hours every night, with fixed sleep and wake times.
每晚睡八小时,作息时间固定。
Complete one additional recovery method per day (e.g., breathing protocols, meditation, cold or heat therapy).
每天完成一种额外的恢复方法(例如呼吸疗法、冥想、冷疗或热疗)。
When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive—to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
—Marcus Aurelius
清晨醒来,想想活着是多么珍贵的特权——呼吸、思考、享受、爱。——马可·奥勒留
The first hour of your morning sets the tone for the entire day ahead. Thoughtful movement and nutrition during that window will make you feel more energized, focused, and productive and provide a sense of structure and stability in an otherwise unpredictable world.
清晨的第一个小时决定了一整天的基调。在这段时间里,有意识地进行运动和摄取营养,会让你感觉更有活力、更专注、效率更高,并在变幻莫测的世界中为你带来秩序感和稳定性。
Here, I’ll share the five principles of an effective morning routine, show you how I incorporate them into my mornings, and provide a template you can use to build your own:
在这里,我将分享高效晨间习惯的五个原则,向你展示我是如何将它们融入到我的早晨生活中的,并提供一个模板供你用来构建自己的晨间习惯:
Maintaining a consistent wake time each day has been scientifically proven to provide real health benefits; it regulates the body’s circadian rhythm, improves cognitive function, and boosts energy levels, mood, and overall health.
每天保持规律的起床时间已被科学证明对健康有益;它可以调节身体的昼夜节律,改善认知功能,提高精力水平、情绪和整体健康。
My application: Waking up early is the easiest way to improve your odds of success. You don’t have to wake up early to be successful, but you rarely find an early riser who isn’t winning. For me, this means 4:30 on weekdays and around 5:00 on weekends (or earlier if my son decides to crawl all over me in bed!). Note: I try to go to sleep around 8:30 on weeknights to get seven to eight hours of sleep.
我的经验是:早起是提高成功几率最简单的方法。你不一定要早起才能成功,但你很少会发现早起的人不成功。对我来说,这意味着工作日早上4:30起床,周末大约5:00起床(如果我儿子决定爬到我身上,那就更早了!)。注:我尽量在工作日晚上8:30左右睡觉,保证7到8小时的睡眠。
Implementation plan: Set a fixed time to wake up on weekdays and a fixed time to wake up on the weekend (ideally within thirty to sixty minutes of your weekday wake-up time to avoid negatively affecting your natural sleep cycles). If you need an extra boost, place your phone in the bathroom (or at least ten feet from your bed) to force yourself to get out of bed to turn off the alarm.
执行计划:设定工作日和周末的固定起床时间(理想情况下,周末起床时间应与工作日起床时间相差不超过30到60分钟,以免影响自然睡眠周期)。如果需要额外动力,可以将手机放在浴室(或至少离床1米远的地方),强迫自己起床关掉闹钟。
Most of us are chronically dehydrated. This affects all areas of health. Morning hydration kick-starts your metabolism, improves memory, and boosts energy. In addition, hydrating in the morning can lead to better digestion and improved skin health by flushing out toxins from the day (or long night) before.
我们大多数人都处于慢性脱水状态,这会影响健康的方方面面。早晨补充水分可以启动新陈代谢,改善记忆力,并提升精力。此外,早晨补充水分还能帮助排出前一天(或漫长夜晚)积累的毒素,从而促进消化,改善皮肤健康。
My application: I hydrate in the morning with a cocktail of sixteen ounces of water, greens powder, and electrolytes.
我的做法:我早上会喝一杯由 16 盎司水、绿粉和电解质组成的混合饮料来补充水分。
Implementation plan: Make sure you drink sixteen ounces of water upon rising. If you want to add a boost to the water, consider adding lemon, electrolytes, or greens powder to supercharge the effects.
实施计划:起床后务必喝16盎司(约473毫升)的水。如果想增强效果,可以考虑在水中加入柠檬、电解质或绿蔬粉。
Moving your body daily should be a nonnegotiable. We were made to move. Daily activity (thirty to sixty minutes) is essential to health, brain function, and happiness. When you’re getting started, just move in whatever way you enjoy—walk, dance, hike, run, lift weights, anything you like. Simple is better than complex.
每天运动应该是不容商量的。我们生来就应该运动。每天进行30到60分钟的运动对健康、大脑功能和幸福感至关重要。刚开始的时候,选择你喜欢的运动方式——散步、跳舞、徒步、跑步、举重等等,任何你喜欢的运动都可以。简单比复杂更好。
My application: I use my 5-5-5-30 routine: five push-ups, five squats, five lunges, and a thirty-second plank. You can do this while your coffee is brewing or immediately after you wake up. It will give you an instant boost of energy and get your blood flowing.
我的方法:我采用5-5-5-30的训练计划:五个俯卧撑、五个深蹲、五个弓步,以及三十秒平板支撑。你可以在煮咖啡的时候做,也可以起床后立即做。它能迅速提升你的能量,促进血液循环。
Implementation plan: Choose a few simple movements to start your day. They can be strength exercises (like mine), mobility exercises, or stretches, and they can be easy. The point is to get your body moving and the blood flowing.
执行计划:选择几个简单的动作开始新的一天。可以是力量训练(比如我的),也可以是灵活性训练或拉伸运动,而且要简单易行。关键是要让身体动起来,促进血液循环。
Exposure to natural light in the morning increases your focus, improves your mood via increased serotonin production, and serves as a natural source of vitamin D. By spending time in nature and away from screens, you’ll experience reduced stress and improved overall mental clarity.
清晨接触自然光可以提高注意力,促进血清素分泌,从而改善情绪,并且是维生素D的天然来源。多花时间亲近自然,远离电子屏幕,可以减轻压力,提升整体思维清晰度。
My application: My thirty-minute walk with my son is a nonnegotiable part of my morning routine. It always leaves me feeling healthy, happy, and creative.
我的申请:每天早上和儿子散步三十分钟是我生活中不可或缺的一部分。它总是让我感到健康、快乐和充满创造力。
Implementation plan: Get outside and walk to start your day. Fifteen minutes is all you need. Leave your phone on silent (or leave it at home). Allow yourself to think freely and breathe.
执行计划:每天清晨出门散步,只需十五分钟。将手机调至静音(或留在家里)。让自己自由思考,深呼吸。
Most people are not wired to work from nine to five. Modern work culture is a remnant of an earlier age—long periods of the same steady monotonous tasks. If your goal is to create, you must work like a lion. Sprint when inspired. Rest. Repeat.
大多数人并不适合朝九晚五的工作模式。现代工作文化是过去时代的遗风——长时间重复单调乏味的工作。如果你的目标是创造,就必须像狮子一样拼命工作。灵感迸发时全力冲刺,休息片刻,然后重复。
My application: I always start my day with two hours of focused work on the most important tasks.
我的工作方式:我每天都会先花两个小时集中精力处理最重要的任务。
Implementation plan: Establish your most important tasks for the next day the night before. Go through them during a focused block of work to start your morning.
执行计划:前一天晚上确定第二天最重要的任务。早上集中精力完成这些任务,开启新的一天。
Summarizing the five core science-backed principles of a great morning routine:
总结出五个有科学依据的优秀晨间习惯的核心原则:
Wake up: Establish a fixed waking schedule for weekdays and weekends.
起床:为工作日和周末制定固定的起床时间表。
Hydrate: Drink sixteen ounces of water (with superchargers as desired).
补充水分:喝 16 盎司水(可根据需要添加能量补充剂)。
Move: Choose a few simple strength, mobility, or flexibility movements to get your body moving and the blood flowing.
动起来:选择一些简单的力量、灵活性或柔韧性动作,让你的身体动起来,促进血液循环。
Get outside: Fifteen minutes of movement outside sets the tone for the day.
到户外走走:每天在户外运动十五分钟,就能为一天定下基调。
Focus: Set a block of time to work on the most important tasks for the day.
专注:安排一段固定的时间来处理当天最重要的任务。
If you incorporate your own version of these five core principles, you’ll be well on your way to building your perfect morning routine.
如果你将这五项核心原则融入到你自己的生活中,你就能朝着建立完美的晨间习惯迈出坚实的一步。
A collaboration with Ben Bruno, a personal trainer and strength coach who works with professional athletes, A-list celebrities, high-powered entrepreneurs, and others.
与 Ben Bruno 合作,他是一位私人教练和体能教练,曾与职业运动员、一线明星、成功企业家等人士合作。
The following is a training-week template that you can use and adapt once you have reached Level 3 in your movement journey. Levels 1 and 2 are focused on daily movement and building the habit; Level 3 is a more advanced combination of the primary subcategories of training—cardiovascular, strength, stability, and flexibility—necessary for your overall health, performance, and appearance.
以下是一个训练周模板,您可以在运动训练达到第三阶段后使用并进行调整。第一阶段和第二阶段侧重于日常运动和习惯养成;第三阶段则是对训练的主要子类别——心肺功能、力量、稳定性和柔韧性——进行更高级的组合,这些对您的整体健康、运动表现和体型都至关重要。
Each week at Level 3 should consist of three full-body strength workouts, two low-intensity aerobic cardio workouts, and one high-intensity anaerobic cardio workout. The exact days for each workout are up to you, so don’t feel pressure to stick to a rigid routine if you have a busy or irregular schedule. Ideally, give yourself a day of recovery between each full-body strength workout.
三级训练计划每周应包含三次全身力量训练、两次低强度有氧运动和一次高强度无氧运动。每次训练的具体日期由您自行决定,所以如果您日程繁忙或不规律,不必勉强自己坚持固定的训练计划。理想情况下,每次全身力量训练之间应留出一天的恢复时间。
The composition of a training week is as follows:
一周训练安排如下:
Day 1: Full-body strength plus optional aerobic cardio
第一天:全身力量训练,可选有氧运动
Day 2: Aerobic cardio (sixty minutes)
第二天:有氧运动(60分钟)
Day 3: Full-body strength plus optional aerobic cardio
第三天:全身力量训练,可选有氧运动
Day 4: Aerobic cardio (sixty minutes)
第四天:有氧运动(六十分钟)
Day 5: Full-body strength plus optional aerobic cardio
第五天:全身力量训练,可选有氧运动
Day 6: Anaerobic cardio (twenty minutes)
第六天:无氧有氧运动(20分钟)
Day 7: Light recovery and rest
第7天:轻度恢复和休息
Your full-body strength sessions will incorporate a warm-up routine, static stretching, and dynamic stability and mobility work. While the specific strength routine you follow is your choice, you can find a recommended full-body routine at the5typesofwealth.com/movementplan , including video tutorials for each movement.
您的全身力量训练将包括热身、静态拉伸以及动态稳定性和灵活性练习。您可以自行选择具体的力量训练计划,但您也可以访问 the5typesofwealth.com/movementplan 查看推荐的全身训练计划,其中包含每个动作的视频教程。
Your aerobic cardio sessions are longer, low-intensity workouts. For the average person, the most effective and repeatable form of aerobic cardiovascular training is low intensity, sometimes referred to as zone 2 training. Scientifically, zone 2 is the level of exertion in which the body is using oxygen to convert fat into fuel. While the zone 2 heart rate will vary from person to person, zone 2 can be estimated as the level at which your heart rate is elevated but you are still able to have a conversation and breathe through your nose (roughly 60 to 70 percent of your maximum heart rate). Alternatively, you can estimate that heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 (which establishes your maximum heart rate) and multiplying that by 60 to 70 percent (which gives you your zone 2 heart rate).
你的有氧运动是时间较长、强度较低的锻炼。对于普通人来说,最有效且可重复进行的有氧心血管训练是低强度运动,有时也称为第二区间训练。从科学角度讲,第二区间是指身体利用氧气将脂肪转化为能量的运动强度。虽然每个人的第二区间心率会有所不同,但第二区间可以大致估算为心率升高但你仍然可以进行对话并用鼻子呼吸的水平(大约是你最大心率的60%到70%)。或者,你也可以用220减去你的年龄(这是你的最大心率),然后乘以60%到70%来估算你的第二区间心率。
Select a format (hiking, biking, fast walking, jogging, swimming, rowing, et cetera) and perform a proper warm-up to get the body prepared. Select an intensity level where you have an elevated heart rate but can still carry on a conversation.
选择一种运动方式(徒步、骑行、快走、慢跑、游泳、划船等等),并进行适当的热身运动,让身体做好准备。选择一个强度适中的运动水平,使你的心率有所提升,但仍能进行简单的交谈。
Your anaerobic cardio session is a focused, high-intensity workout. Anaerobic training is high intensity (sometimes referred to as zone 5) and involves short bursts of intense activity (biking, rowing, running, lifting, et cetera) with extended recovery periods in between.
你的无氧有氧训练是一种专注的高强度锻炼。无氧训练强度很高(有时被称为第五区),包括短时间的剧烈运动(骑自行车、划船、跑步、举重等),中间穿插着较长的恢复期。
This type of training is important for building VO 2 max—the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during a period of intense exercise. VO 2 max is arguably the most useful indicator of overall cardiorespiratory fitness and has a dramatic impact on health and longevity. In fact, a 2018 study found that a modest increase in VO 2 max from the bottom 25th percentile to the 25th–50th percentile was associated with a 50 percent reduction in all-cause mortality, and a jump from the bottom 25th percentile to the 50th–75th percentile was associated with a dramatic 70 percent reduction in all-cause mortality. [14]
这种训练对于提高最大摄氧量(VO₂max)至关重要——最大摄氧量是指人体在剧烈运动期间能够利用的最大氧气量。最大摄氧量可以说是衡量整体心肺功能的最佳指标,对健康和寿命有着显著的影响。事实上,2018 年的一项研究发现,最大摄氧量从最低的 25% 百分位略微提高到 25% 至 50% 百分位,与全因死亡率降低 50% 相关;而从最低的 25% 百分位跃升到 50% 至 75% 百分位,则与全因死亡率显著降低 70% 相关。[14]
Select a format (bike, row, run, stairs, et cetera) and perform a proper warm-up to get the body prepared. Alternate between rounds of all-out effort and periods of rest for at least twenty minutes. For example, one minute of hard effort followed by two to three minutes of slow movement or rest is a good baseline. Your heart rate should spike during the bouts of effort and come down to a low baseline during the recovery periods.
选择一种运动方式(例如骑行、划船、跑步、爬楼梯等),并进行充分的热身,让身体做好准备。至少进行二十分钟的全力冲刺和休息交替进行。例如,一分钟的全力冲刺后,进行两到三分钟的慢速运动或休息,这是一个不错的基准。在冲刺阶段,你的心率应该迅速上升,而在恢复阶段,心率应该回落到较低的基线水平。
The recovery day is an essential part of the weekly routine. Light movements—such as walking, easy hikes, or other low heart rate outdoor activities—are great for your recovery day as long as they aren’t putting strain on the body. Recovery day is a great time to engage in your favorite recovery protocols, such as cold or heat therapy, massage, and foam rolling. Make sure you prioritize high-quality sleep.
恢复日是每周例行安排中不可或缺的一部分。轻柔的运动,例如散步、轻松徒步或其他低心率的户外活动,都非常适合恢复日,前提是这些运动不会给身体带来负担。恢复日也是进行你喜欢的恢复疗法的绝佳时机,例如冷疗或热疗、按摩和泡沫轴放松。务必保证充足的睡眠。
For more information and resources related to the training plan, please visit the5typesofwealth.com/movementplan .
有关训练计划的更多信息和资源,请访问 the5typesofwealth.com/movementplan。
Note: Consult with a physician prior to undertaking any meaningful change to your current routine. While the program is backed by science and many years of training experience, it is generalized, and individuals should review their health and circumstances with a professional prior to taking on a rigorous fitness program.
注意:在对目前的日常作息做出任何重大改变之前,请咨询医生。虽然该计划以科学为基础,并融合了多年的训练经验,但它只是概括性的指导,个人在开始任何高强度的健身计划之前,都应该咨询专业人士,评估自身的健康状况和具体情况。
A collaboration with Ben Bruno, a personal trainer and strength coach who works with professional athletes, A-list celebrities, high-powered entrepreneurs, and others.
与 Ben Bruno 合作,他是一位私人教练和体能教练,曾与职业运动员、一线明星、成功企业家等人士合作。
The common-sense diet is a set of eight simple principles that provide a general structure for high-quality nutrition that will fuel your performance, improve your appearance, and optimize your long-term health and longevity.
常识饮食法是一套包含八项简单原则的饮食方案,它为高质量的营养提供了一个总体框架,可以增强你的运动表现,改善你的外貌,并优化你的长期健康和寿命。
Eat well most (about 80 to 90 percent) of the time. Save junk-food splurges for the stuff you really love. Prioritize single-ingredient, whole, unprocessed foods.
大部分时间(大约80%到90%)都要吃得健康。把偶尔放纵一下自己真正喜欢的垃圾食品留给自己。优先选择单一成分、天然、未经加工的食物。
Stop eating before you’re stuffed (eating to 80 percent satiety is a good rule of thumb).
不要吃得太饱(吃到八分饱是一个不错的经验法则)。
Make sure to get enough protein for your body goals. A good baseline is 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight for someone who is physically active.
确保摄入足够的蛋白质以达到你的健身目标。对于经常运动的人来说,一个不错的基准是每磅体重摄入0.8克蛋白质。
Avoid foods that make you feel and perform poorly. Everyone is different in this regard, so find what works and doesn’t work for you.
避免食用那些让你感觉不适或表现不佳的食物。每个人的情况都不一样,所以要找到适合自己的食物。
Drink plenty of water and fluids but limit alcohol.
多喝水和其他液体,但要限制饮酒。
Eat whole vegetables, fruits, or both at every meal, the more the better.
每餐都要吃完整的蔬菜、水果或两者都吃,多多益善。
Find a meal frequency that works for your life. Don’t buy into the dogmas of one right way to do it.
找到适合自己生活方式的进餐频率。不要盲目接受某种所谓“正确”的进餐方式。
Don’t take your diet so seriously that you miss out on life experiences.
不要把饮食看得太重,以至于错过了生活体验。
To assist you on the journey, here is a list of high-quality, nutrient-dense foods categorized by macronutrient. Note that this list is not intended to be comprehensive but to provide a starting-point grocery list for improved nutrition.
为了帮助您更好地摄取营养,我们列出了一份按宏量营养素分类的高品质、营养丰富的食物清单。请注意,这份清单并非详尽无遗,而是为您提供一个改善营养的购物清单起点。
Meat, including beef, poultry, and lamb
肉类,包括牛肉、家禽和羊肉
Fish
鱼
Eggs
鸡蛋
Greek yogurt
希腊酸奶
Cottage cheese
干酪
Tofu
豆腐
Protein powder (from high-quality sources with minimal added ingredients)
蛋白质粉(采用优质原料,添加成分极少)
Grains, including rice, oatmeal, quinoa, barley, and farro
谷物,包括大米、燕麦片、藜麦、大麦和法罗小麦。
Potatoes and sweet potatoes
土豆和红薯
Whole fruits and vegetables
完整的水果和蔬菜
Beans, lentils, and peas
豆类、扁豆和豌豆
Raw honey
生蜂蜜
Nuts and nut butters
坚果和坚果酱
Butter or ghee from grass-fed animals
来自草饲动物的黄油或酥油
Extra-virgin olive oil
特级初榨橄榄油
Avocado oil
牛油果油
Coconut oil
椰子油
Chia seeds, flaxseed, hemp seeds
奇亚籽、亚麻籽、大麻籽
Proteins and carbohydrates each contain four calories per gram; fats contain nine calories per gram. To calculate your total caloric intake, multiply the grams of each macronutrient consumed during the day by the appropriate number and add them together. For example, if I consume 200 grams of protein, 300 grams of carbohydrates, and 100 grams of fat, that equals 2,900 calories (200 grams of protein at 4 calories per gram plus 300 grams of carbohydrates at 4 calories per gram plus 100 grams of fat at 9 calories per gram).
蛋白质和碳水化合物每克含有4卡路里;脂肪每克含有9卡路里。要计算每日总卡路里摄入量,请将当天摄入的每种宏量营养素的克数乘以相应的数值,然后将结果相加。例如,如果我摄入200克蛋白质、300克碳水化合物和100克脂肪,则总卡路里摄入量为2900卡路里(200克蛋白质,每克4卡路里;300克碳水化合物,每克4卡路里;100克脂肪,每克9卡路里)。
Various dietary schools debate the relative ideal proportions of each macronutrient, but a grounding in protein (around 0.8 grams and up to 1 gram per pound of body weight for someone engaged in strength training) is a good starting point. Protein is highly filling, which means you’re less likely to overeat in other areas, which will make achieving goals easier. The mix of carbohydrates and fats can be tailored to individual fitness or aesthetic goals, but most people will benefit from distributing their remaining calories across carbohydrates and fats.
不同的营养学派对每种宏量营养素的理想比例各有争议,但以蛋白质为基础(通常为每磅体重0.8克,力量训练者可达1克)是一个不错的起点。蛋白质饱腹感强,这意味着你不太可能在其他方面摄入过多食物,从而更容易实现目标。碳水化合物和脂肪的比例可以根据个人的健身或塑形目标进行调整,但大多数人都能从合理分配剩余热量中获益。
You can use the free online calculators at calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html to determine a baseline level of caloric intake for your overall physical goals. You can find a free macronutrient calculator at calculator.net/macro-calculator.html to determine a baseline macronutrient profile across various models (I would recommend beginning with the balanced model for most people).
您可以使用 calculator.net/calorie-calculator.html 上的免费在线计算器来确定符合您整体健身目标的基准卡路里摄入量。您还可以在 calculator.net/macro-calculator.html 上找到免费的宏量营养素计算器,以确定各种模型下的基准宏量营养素比例(我建议大多数人从均衡模型开始)。
There are six essential micronutrients according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: iron, vitamin A, vitamin D, iodine, folate, and zinc. Active individuals may need other micronutrients, such as vitamin E, vitamin B 12 , magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
根据美国疾病控制与预防中心的数据,人体必需的微量营养素有六种:铁、维生素A、维生素D、碘、叶酸和锌。活跃人群可能还需要其他微量营养素,例如维生素E、维生素B12、镁、钾和钙。
Most of these micronutrients are found in whole, unprocessed foods, but some (like vitamin D) are harder to get in sufficient quantities from food alone, and may require supplementation.
这些微量营养素大多存在于未经加工的天然食物中,但有些(如维生素 D)仅靠食物很难获得足够的量,可能需要补充剂。
There are a variety of meal-tracking applications that will estimate the micronutrient profile of your diet. If you are concerned about your micronutrient intake, consider asking your physician to order a blood panel, or order it yourself through a service (there are many options, depending on your geography and price sensitivity).
有很多膳食追踪应用程序可以估算你饮食中的微量营养素构成。如果你担心微量营养素的摄入量,可以考虑请医生开具血液检查单,或者自己通过相关服务机构订购(有很多选择,具体取决于你的地理位置和价格承受能力)。
Quality nutrition defends against negative outcomes and promotes positive outcomes. Following the eight principles of the common-sense diet and prioritizing the foods from the list in the major macronutrient categories will allow you to achieve a very strong nutritional baseline as you work toward your Physical Wealth goals.
优质营养能够抵御负面影响,促进积极结果。遵循常识饮食的八项原则,并优先摄入主要宏量营养素类别中的食物,将有助于您在实现健康体魄目标的过程中,建立起非常扎实的营养基础。
Sleep is the most effective tool in your arsenal to achieve optimal health, performance, and recovery.
睡眠是实现最佳健康状态、运动表现和恢复能力的最有效工具。
To become a professional sleeper, follow these basic, science-backed rules:
要想成为睡眠专家,请遵循以下这些有科学依据的基本规则:
Keep a regular schedule: Sleep regularity is important. Set a fixed bedtime that you stick to and try to wake up around the same time every single morning (even on weekends).
保持规律的作息时间:规律的睡眠非常重要。设定一个固定的就寝时间并坚持下去,尽量每天早上在同一时间起床(即使是周末)。
View morning sunlight: Spend at least ten to fifteen minutes viewing sunlight every single morning (on a walk, ideally). Note that even on an overcast morning, there is sunlight, but you may need to increase the time of exposure to get the same benefit. There is significant scientific evidence that it will help you establish and maintain a healthy circadian rhythm.
每天早晨至少花十分钟到十五分钟晒太阳(最好是在散步时)。即使是阴天,也依然有阳光,但你可能需要增加晒太阳的时间才能获得同样的益处。大量的科学证据表明,晒太阳有助于你建立并维持健康的昼夜节律。
Control your sleep environment: Your sleep environment should be cool and dark. Use blackout curtains or an eye mask if natural light is a problem.
控制睡眠环境:睡眠环境应保持凉爽黑暗。如果自然光影响睡眠,可以使用遮光窗帘或眼罩。
Avoid food right before bed: Eating right before bed may disrupt your natural body functions, hormones, and sleep cycle. If you are hungry before bed, keep the meal light and avoid carb-heavy, insulin-spiking meals.
睡前避免进食:睡前吃东西可能会扰乱身体的自然机能、激素水平和睡眠周期。如果睡前感到饥饿,请选择清淡的食物,避免食用高碳水化合物、会导致胰岛素飙升的食物。
Avoid consuming excessive liquids before bed: Waking up to use the restroom in the middle of the night can be very disruptive. To avoid this, limit liquid intake in the sixty minutes before going to bed.
睡前避免摄入过多液体:半夜起床上厕所会严重影响睡眠。为避免这种情况,请在睡前60分钟内限制液体摄入量。
Avoid caffeine in the afternoons: The post-lunch coffee may contribute to your inability to fall asleep at night. Avoid caffeine within eight hours of your bedtime to ensure it is out of your bloodstream.
下午避免摄入咖啡因:午餐后的咖啡可能会导致你晚上难以入睡。为了确保咖啡因从血液中完全清除,请在睡前八小时内避免摄入咖啡因。
Cut back on alcohol : Alcohol disrupts sleep (and health) in a variety of ways. Avoid alcohol and your sleep will improve.
减少饮酒:酒精会以多种方式扰乱睡眠(和健康)。避免饮酒,你的睡眠质量就会改善。
Create a wind-down routine: Develop a consistent routine for relaxing and winding down before going to bed. Dim lights in the house an hour or two before bedtime, shut off your work devices, spend time with your family or friends, or read your favorite book. You can include natural sleep supplements, such as magnesium and theanine, which have been proven to support healthy sleep cycles, in the wind-down routine.
建立睡前放松习惯:养成一套固定的睡前放松流程。睡前一到两个小时调暗家里的灯光,关闭工作设备,与家人或朋友共度时光,或者阅读自己喜欢的书籍。你还可以将一些天然助眠补充剂,例如镁和茶氨酸,纳入睡前放松流程中,这些成分已被证实有助于维持健康的睡眠周期。
Avoid screens before bed: If you have trouble falling asleep at night, avoid screens within an hour of bedtime. Designate your sleep environment as a screen-free zone.
睡前避免使用电子屏幕:如果您晚上难以入睡,请在睡前一小时内避免使用电子屏幕。将您的睡眠环境设定为无屏幕区域。
If you follow those rules with 90 percent consistency for thirty days, you will improve your sleep and feel the benefits in your life.
如果你连续 30 天以 90% 的坚持率遵循这些规则,你的睡眠质量将会得到改善,并在生活中感受到这些益处。
Stress is not black-and-white—like most things, it exists on a spectrum. In fact, when it comes to performance in important moments, too little stress is just as bad as too much stress .
压力并非非黑即白——和大多数事物一样,它存在于一个连续的范围内。事实上,在重要时刻,压力过小和压力过大对表现的影响一样大。
The Yerkes-Dodson Law is a simple model of the relationship between performance and stress. It was proposed in 1908 by psychologists Robert Yerkes and John Dodson, who reached their conclusions after doing a study on Japanese dancing mice. In simple terms, the Yerkes-Dodson Law says that stress and performance are positively correlated only up to a certain point, after which more stress reduces performance.
耶克斯-多德森定律是描述绩效与压力之间关系的一个简单模型。它由心理学家罗伯特·耶克斯和约翰·多德森于1908年提出,他们通过对日本跳舞鼠的研究得出了这一结论。简而言之,耶克斯-多德森定律指出,压力与绩效呈正相关关系,但这种相关性仅在一定范围内存在;超过一定限度后,压力过大反而会降低绩效。
There are three states to be aware of:
需要注意以下三种状态:
Low stress: This is a state of low arousal. This state is necessary for recovery.
低压力:这是一种低唤醒状态。这种状态对于恢复至关重要。
Optimal stress: This is the optimal state of arousal. It’s the Goldilocks level—not too hot, not too cold, just right. When you’re in this state, you are well positioned to perform important tasks.
最佳压力:这是最佳的唤醒状态。它恰到好处,不冷不热,完美无缺。在这种状态下,你能够更好地完成重要任务。
High stress: This is a state of high arousal, the overstressed position we so often find ourselves in. It may lead to a complete shutdown from system overload.
高压力:这是一种高度兴奋的状态,也是我们经常处于的过度紧张状态。它可能导致系统过载,最终导致完全崩溃。
In an ideal world, you would operate in the state of optimal stress during important tasks and then quickly shut that off and operate in the state of low stress at other times. In reality, most people find themselves tipping over the edge into the state of high stress too often and fail to reset to the state of low stress frequently enough to recover.
理想情况下,在执行重要任务时,你应该保持最佳压力状态,然后在其他时间迅速切换回低压力状态。但现实情况是,大多数人发现自己经常过度处于高压状态,而且无法及时切换到低压力状态以恢复精力。
To execute a stress reset and promote the low-stress recovery state, try these three science-backed breathing techniques:
为了重置压力并促进低压力恢复状态,请尝试以下三种经科学验证的呼吸技巧:
A particularly effective method for triggering the calm state necessary to fall asleep, the 4-7-8 method is one that I use almost daily. [15]
4-7-8 法是一种特别有效的方法,可以触发入睡所需的平静状态,我几乎每天都会使用这种方法。[15]
How it works:
工作原理:
Breathe in through your nose for four seconds.
用鼻子吸气四秒钟。
Hold your breath for seven seconds.
屏住呼吸七秒钟。
Exhale for eight seconds.
呼气八秒钟。
Repeat two to three times.
重复两到三次。
Another effective approach is derived from ancient yogic traditions in India.
另一种有效的方法源自印度的古代瑜伽传统。
How it works:
工作原理:
Sit in a comfortable position on the floor with a slight forward lean and your hands on the floor.
舒适地坐在地板上,身体略微前倾,双手放在地板上。
Focus your gaze on the tip of your nose.
将目光集中在鼻尖上。
Inhale deeply through your nose.
用鼻子深吸一口气。
Stick your tongue out and down to your chin.
伸出舌头,舔到下巴。
Exhale forcefully with a “Ha!” sound. (Note: Limit the forcefulness of the exhale if you’re a beginner.)
用力呼气,同时发出“哈!”的声音。(注意:如果是初学者,请控制呼气的力度。)
Repeat two to three times.
重复两到三次。
The physiological sigh, previously mentioned as a way to moderate stress in your system for effective public speaking, is a remarkably effective approach for promoting calm. First described in the 1930s and reinvigorated by the research of UCLA neurobiologist Jack Feldman and Stanford biochemist Mark Krasnow, we do it naturally when levels of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream get too high. It creates a relaxing sensation by releasing a lot of carbon dioxide very fast.
生理性叹息,正如前文所述,是缓解压力、提升公开演讲能力的有效方法,它也是一种促进平静的显著途径。这种现象最早于20世纪30年代被描述,后经加州大学洛杉矶分校神经生物学家杰克·费尔德曼和斯坦福大学生物化学家马克·克拉斯诺的研究重新发掘。当血液中二氧化碳含量过高时,我们会自然而然地叹息。它通过快速释放大量二氧化碳,产生放松的感觉。
How it works:
工作原理:
Inhale through your nose twice, first slowly, then quickly.
用鼻子吸气两次,第一次慢,第二次快。
Long exhale through your mouth to a natural stop without forcing the breath.
通过嘴巴慢慢呼气,自然停止,不要用力吸气。
Repeat two to three times.
重复两到三次。
Stress is a necessary part of life. If you can learn to harness it—to operate in the optimal stress environment for important tasks and the low stress environment for recovery—you will always perform at your best. Try these three science-backed breathing protocols and you’ll be well on your way to turning stress from your sworn enemy into your good friend (or at least your friendly acquaintance!).
压力是生活的一部分。如果你能学会驾驭压力——在重要任务中保持最佳压力状态,在恢复期保持低压力状态——你就能始终发挥最佳水平。试试这三种经科学验证的呼吸方法,你就能轻松地将压力从你的死敌变成你的好朋友(或者至少是友好的伙伴!)。
The Big Question: Will you be dancing at your eightieth birthday party?
最重要的问题:你会在八十岁生日派对上跳舞吗?
Movement: Daily body movement through a combination of cardiovascular exercise and resistance training; activities to promote stability and flexibility
运动:每日进行身体活动,包括有氧运动和阻力训练;以及促进稳定性和柔韧性的活动。
Nutrition: Consumption of primarily whole, unprocessed foods to meet major nutrient needs, supplementing as necessary to meet micronutrient needs
营养:主要食用未经加工的全食物以满足主要营养素需求,必要时补充微量营养素以满足需求。
Recovery: High-quality, consistent sleep performance, and other recovery-promoting activities
恢复:高质量、稳定的睡眠以及其他促进恢复的活动
The Physical Wealth Score: For each statement below, respond with 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (disagree), 2 (neutral), 3 (agree), or 4 (strongly agree).
物质财富评分:对于以下每一项陈述,请回答 0(非常不同意)、1(不同意)、2(中立)、3(同意)或 4(非常同意)。
I feel strong, healthy, and vital for my age.
就我的年龄而言,我感觉自己身体强壮、健康、充满活力。
I move my body regularly through a structured routine and have an active lifestyle.
我通过规律的运动来锻炼身体,并保持积极的生活方式。
I eat primarily whole, unprocessed foods.
我主要吃天然的、未经加工的食物。
I sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis and feel rested and recovered.
我通常每晚睡七个小时或更长时间,感觉休息充分,精神焕发。
I have a clear plan in place to allow me to physically thrive into my later years.
我已经制定了明确的计划,让我能够在晚年保持良好的身体状态。
Your baseline score (0 to 20):
您的基线分数(0 至 20 分):
Use the goal-setting framework to calibrate your Physical Wealth compass:
运用目标设定框架来校准你的物质财富指南针:
Goals: What Physical Wealth Score do you want to achieve within one year? What are the two to three checkpoints that you will need to hit on your path to achieve this score?
目标:您希望在一年内达到怎样的物质财富评分?为了达到这个评分,您需要达成哪两到三个关键节点?
Anti-goals: What are the two to three outcomes that you want to avoid on your journey?
反目标:在你的旅程中,你希望避免哪两到三种结果?
High-leverage systems: What are the two to three systems from the Physical Wealth Guide that you will implement to make tangible, compounding progress toward your goal score?
高杠杆系统:您将实施《物质财富指南》中的哪两到三个系统,以在实现目标分数方面取得切实、持续的进步?
Complete seven consecutive days of your first Physical Wealth Thirty-Day Challenge.
连续七天完成你的第一个“物质财富三十天挑战”。
Choose a challenge level from the Physical Wealth Thirty-Day Challenge in the Physical Wealth Guide. Bronze is a good place to start if you are new to these practices, while Gold is more appropriate if you consider yourself advanced.
从《物质财富指南》的“物质财富三十天挑战”中选择一个挑战级别。如果您是这些练习的新手,青铜级别是一个不错的起点;如果您认为自己已经有所进步,黄金级别则更合适。
Use a spreadsheet or template to track your daily execution. You can find a tracking template at the5typesofwealth.com/tracker .
使用电子表格或模板来跟踪您的每日执行情况。您可以在 the5typesofwealth.com/tracker 找到跟踪模板。
Find a partner (or partners) to take on the challenge with you. Create a group message or system for communicating your performance on the daily challenge. Message Done upon completion of each item on the list.
找一位或几位伙伴与你一起接受挑战。创建一个群组消息或系统,用于交流你们每日挑战的进展情况。每完成一项挑战,就发送一条“完成”的消息。
In a short poem about his late friend Joseph Heller, a famous American author best known for his work of satirical genius, Catch-22 , Kurt Vonnegut shared an anecdote that offers a powerful piece of Heller’s wisdom.
在一首关于他已故朋友约瑟夫·海勒(美国著名作家,以其讽刺天才之作《第二十二条军规》而闻名)的短诗中,库尔特·冯内古特分享了一个轶事,从中展现了海勒的深刻智慧。
As the two enjoyed a party at the home of a billionaire, Vonnegut asked Heller, “Joe, how does it make you feel to know that our host only yesterday may have made more money than your novel Catch-22 has earned in its entire history?” Heller replied, “I’ve got something he can never have…the knowledge that I’ve got enough.”
两人在一位亿万富翁家中参加派对时,冯内古特问海勒:“乔,你知道我们这位主人昨天赚的钱可能比你的小说《第二十二条军规》出版以来赚的钱还多吗?你感觉如何?”海勒回答说:“我拥有他永远无法拥有的东西……那就是我拥有的已经足够。”
I first came across this poem in May 2021 shortly after the conversation with an old friend that had changed my life. The message, amplified by my deeply reflective mental state in the moment, immediately struck a chord.
我第一次读到这首诗是在2021年5月,就在我和一位老朋友的谈话之后不久,那次谈话改变了我的人生。当时我正处于深刻的反思状态,诗中的信息立刻引起了我的共鸣。
When Heller spoke those words—“the knowledge that I’ve got enough”—what did he really mean? What’s so special and valuable about that knowledge, about that idea of enough, that he had the audacity to claim it was worth more than the billions of dollars that their host had accumulated?
当海勒说出那句话——“我知道我已经拥有足够的东西”——他究竟是什么意思?这种“足够”的观念究竟有何特别之处和价值,以至于他竟敢声称它比他们的主人积累的数十亿美元更有价值?
To answer these challenging questions, it helps to invert them: What happens in the absence of that knowledge? We are gripped—even possessed—by a constant, incessant, obsessive quest for more.
要回答这些棘手的问题,不妨反过来思考:如果缺乏这些知识会发生什么?我们会陷入一种持续不断的、无休止的、痴迷的追求之中,甚至被这种追求所控制。
Once asked by a reporter how much money was enough money, business tycoon John D. Rockefeller replied, “Just a little bit more.”
有记者问商业巨头约翰·D·洛克菲勒,多少钱才算足够,洛克菲勒回答说:“再多一点就行了。”
The quest for more is the modern-day equivalent of the Sisyphean struggle. We push the boulder up the hill, working harder and longer to achieve whatever summit we’re chasing, only to have the boulder roll back down to the bottom and force us to begin anew. Hedonic adaptation—that biological predisposition to return to a baseline after positive events—means that no financial win ever quite satiates.
对更多东西的追求,堪称现代版的西西弗斯式徒劳。我们推着巨石上山,付出更多努力和时间,只为抵达我们追逐的顶峰,但巨石却总是滚落山底,迫使我们重新开始。享乐适应——这种生物本能使我们在经历积极事件后回归基线状态——意味着,任何经济上的成功都无法真正满足我们。
Your current definition of more becomes your future definition of not enough as you set your sights on the next level that you convince yourself will bring happiness and contentment.
当你将目光投向下一个阶段,并说服自己那个阶段会带来幸福和满足感时,你现在对“更多”的定义就会变成你未来对“不够”的定义。
I’ve seen it happen repeatedly both in my own life and in the lives of those around me. That thing you once longed for becomes the thing you can’t wait to upgrade. It’s the phenomenon that leads people to take out a new line of credit for that home addition they don’t really need, to overextend themselves to buy the new car, to go into credit card debt for that fancy new watch, or to allow their health or family to fall apart while they chase some professional promotion.
我亲眼目睹过这种情况反复发生,无论是在我自己身上还是在身边的人身上。你曾经渴望的东西,最终却变成了你迫不及待想要升级的东西。正是这种现象驱使人们为了并不真正需要的房屋扩建而申请新的信用额度,为了购买新车而过度消费,为了购买名表而背负信用卡债务,或者为了追求职业晋升而牺牲自己的健康和家庭。
In 1869, Mark Twain penned an open letter to Cornelius Vanderbilt, a business tycoon who at the time was the richest man in the world. He wrote of the poverty of more, saying, “Poor Vanderbilt! How I pity you…You are an old man, and ought to have some rest, and yet you have to struggle, and deny yourself, and rob yourself of restful sleep and peace of mind, because you need money so badly. I always feel for a man who is so poverty ridden as you…It isn’t what a man has that constitutes wealth. No—it is to be satisfied with what one has; that is wealth.” [1]
1869年,马克·吐温写了一封公开信给当时的世界首富、商业巨头科尼利厄斯·范德比尔特。他在信中描述了富人的贫困,写道:“可怜的范德比尔特!我多么同情你……你年纪大了,本该好好休息,可你却不得不苦苦挣扎,克己自律,剥夺自己安稳的睡眠和内心的平静,只因为你太需要钱了。我总是很同情像你这样如此贫困的人……一个人拥有什么并不构成财富。不——财富在于对所拥有的感到满足。”[1]
Many billionaires who have amassed extraordinary riches lack some of the most basic markers of a happy, fulfilling life. Consider the shocking fact that, at the time of this writing, the ten richest people in the world have a combined twelve divorces among them. The Pyrrhic victory: winning the battle but losing the war.
许多积累了巨额财富的亿万富翁却缺乏幸福美满生活最基本的要素。想想这个令人震惊的事实:截至本文撰写之时,全球最富有的十个人加起来竟然有十二次离婚记录。这是得不偿失的胜利:赢得了战斗,却输掉了整场战争。
History is littered with stories of billionaires who strive for the next rung of the ladder and take on undue risk, only to lose it all. In the past five years alone, we’ve seen several entrepreneurs go from being celebrated on the cover of Forbes to being jeered in the corner of a prison cellblock. Sam Bankman-Fried and Elizabeth Holmes were touted by many as being part of a new class of generational founders, their names expected to be plastered alongside those of Jobs, Gates, Zuckerberg, Musk, and Bezos. Unfortunately, despite early successes that appear to have been legitimate, their chase for more led to a steady deterioration of ethical standards that resulted in eventual criminal charges and convictions.
历史上不乏亿万富翁为了攀登事业高峰而冒险,最终却血本无归的故事。仅在过去五年里,我们就目睹了数位企业家从《福布斯》杂志封面上的耀眼明星沦落到监狱牢房里被人嘲笑的境地。萨姆·班克曼-弗里德和伊丽莎白·霍姆斯曾被许多人誉为新一代创业者的代表,人们期待他们的名字能与乔布斯、盖茨、扎克伯格、马斯克和贝佐斯并肩而立。然而不幸的是,尽管他们早期的成功看似合法,但他们对更大利益的追求却导致了道德底线的不断下滑,最终招致刑事指控和定罪。
The fair counterpoint to the rebuke of more is that the world needs some of these “crazy ones”—a term made famous by the 1997 Think Different Apple ad campaign—who push for more at all costs and wind up creating new and incredible things. To be clear, it is not the crazy ones themselves but the social and cultural pressure that says you need to be one of them that causes the trouble.
针对这种对“更多”的批判,一个合理的反驳是:世界需要一些这样的“疯子”——这个词因1997年苹果公司“非同凡想”(Think Different)的广告宣传活动而广为人知——他们不惜一切代价追求更多,最终创造出令人惊叹的新事物。需要明确的是,真正的问题不在于这些“疯子”本身,而在于社会和文化压力,这种压力迫使人们认为你必须成为他们中的一员。
The chase for more is societally celebrated, while the contentment with enough is easily misunderstood as a lack of ambition. The worthiness of your life is not established by the numbers on your bank or brokerage statement, and it never will be. You set the terms of your own pursuit. You define the rules of your game. It’s perfectly reasonable (and even advisable) to embrace a different way, to ground yourself in the diverse pillars that define a truly wealthy existence: time, people, purpose, health. In doing so, you begin to live your financial life on your terms, not the ones that your hunter-gatherer mind or modern social pressures force on you.
社会推崇追求更多,而安于现状却很容易被误解为缺乏雄心。你人生的价值并非由银行或证券账户上的数字决定,也永远不会由它们决定。你为自己设定追求的目标,你定义自己的游戏规则。拥抱另一种生活方式,将自己扎根于构成真正富足人生的多元支柱——时间、人脉、目标和健康——是完全合理(甚至明智)的。如此一来,你便能按照自己的意愿掌控财务生活,而不是被你原始的狩猎采集思维或现代社会压力所束缚。
The solution to your quest for more: defining and embracing the beauty of your enough.
解决你对更多追求的方案:定义并拥抱你自身“足够”的美。
Lagom is a Swedish term that translates to “just the right amount.” Lagom is what we are searching for—the knowledge of enough, of balance, of equilibrium. The challenge is that lagom isn’t static; it tends to be an ever-increasing target. As you get closer to achieving it, your confidence swells and resets to a higher level. This subconscious reset—from “I’ll be happy when I have [$X]” to “I’ll be happy when I have triple [$X]”—creates the upward spiral of expectations that you need to avoid.
Lagom 是一个瑞典语词汇,意为“恰到好处”。Lagom 正是我们所追求的——知足常乐、平衡和谐。然而,问题在于 Lagom 并非一成不变,它往往是一个不断增长的目标。当你越来越接近目标时,你的自信心会膨胀,并被提升到一个更高的水平。这种潜意识的重置——从“拥有 [$X] 我就满足”到“拥有三倍 [$X] 我就满足”——会形成一种你需要避免的期望螺旋式上升。
You will never have true Financial Wealth if you allow your expectations—your definition of enough —to grow faster than your assets.
如果你任由自己的期望(你对“足够”的定义)增长速度超过资产增长速度,你就永远无法拥有真正的财务财富。
There is no perfect antidote. Hedonic adaptation means our chase for more is genetically hardwired, but forcing the definition of enough out of the subconscious mind and into the conscious mind is a start.
没有完美的解药。享乐适应意味着我们对更多东西的追求是基因决定的,但将“足够”的定义从潜意识转移到意识层面,是一个好的开始。
After my son was born, in May 2022, I started to contemplate exactly what my Enough Life would look like—that is, the life of lagom, where I have just the right amount of Financial Wealth. Rather than allowing my Enough Life to exist in some abstract, secluded region of my mind, I pushed it into the light.
2022年5月儿子出生后,我开始思考我理想中的“足够生活”究竟是什么样子——也就是那种恰到好处的、财务状况适中的生活。我没有让“足够生活”仅仅存在于我脑海中某个抽象而隐秘的角落,而是把它带到了阳光下。
I imagined it. I defined it.
我构想了它,我定义了它。
You should do the same: What does your Enough Life look like?
你也应该这样做:你理想中的“足够生活”是什么样的?
Where do you live?
你住在哪里?
What do you have?
你有什么?
What are you and your loved ones doing?
你和你的家人在做什么?
What are you focusing on?
你主要关注什么?
How much financial cushion do you have?
你手头有多少积蓄?
Importantly, the Enough Life doesn’t have to be simple or spartan; it can be as ambitious or lavish as you see fit. My Enough Life has a vacation home in a beautiful location, mainly because I want to be able to host family and friends to make incredible memories, but it is devoid of luxuries I have no interest in (private jets, yachts, mansions, supercars, fancy jewelry, and so on). The point is that it is your Enough Life—not someone else’s, not influenced by social or cultural pressures, not prone to the subconscious escalation of lifestyle creep. By defining it, by writing it down and keeping it top of mind, you force it into the conscious mind. This doesn’t perfectly halt the natural upward movement, but it does convert an irrational, subconscious movement into a rational, conscious one.
重要的是,“足够的生活”不必简单或简朴;它可以根据你的意愿,变得雄心勃勃或奢华无比。我的“足够的生活”包括一处风景优美的度假屋,主要是因为我想招待亲朋好友,共同创造美好的回忆,但它不包含我毫无兴趣的奢侈品(私人飞机、游艇、豪宅、超级跑车、名贵珠宝等等)。关键在于,这是你自己的“足够的生活”——不是别人的,不受社会或文化压力的影响,也不会在不知不觉中陷入生活方式的攀比之中。通过定义它,通过把它写下来并时刻牢记,你就能把它纳入意识层面。这并不能完全阻止这种自然的向上攀升,但它确实能将一种非理性的、潜意识的倾向转化为一种理性的、有意识的倾向。
Your aim then becomes building Financial Wealth—through income generation, expense management, and long-term investment —up to the point where it enables that Enough Life that you have defined. Beyond that point, the aim shifts to balancing your energy across a broader range of pursuits. Once you’ve reached this point, the Enough Life, you no longer need to focus on money and instead you can prioritize more time, relationships, purpose, growth, and health.
你的目标就变成了积累财富——通过创造收入、控制支出和进行长期投资——直到达到你所定义的“富足生活”状态。之后,你的目标就转向平衡精力,追求更广泛的目标。一旦你达到了“富足生活”的状态,你就不再需要专注于金钱,而是可以优先考虑更多的时间、人际关系、人生目标、个人成长和健康。
There’s a beautiful parable that brings this to life:
有一个很美的寓言故事生动地诠释了这一点:
A wealthy investment banker goes on vacation to a tropical fishing village. As he walks along the docks one afternoon, he comes upon a small, run-down fishing boat with several large fish on its deck.
一位富有的投资银行家到热带渔村度假。一天下午,他沿着码头散步时,发现一艘破旧的小渔船,甲板上趴着几条大鱼。
“How long did it take you to catch those fish?” he asks. The fisherman looks up from his work and smiles at his new visitor.
“你捕到这些鱼花了多长时间?”他问道。渔夫抬起头,微笑着看向这位新来的访客。
“Only a little while.”
“就一会儿。”
The investment banker is taken aback by this response. He likes the fisherman and wants to help. “Why don’t you fish for longer so you can catch more fish?”
这位投资银行家对这个回答感到惊讶。他很喜欢这位渔夫,想帮帮他。“你为什么不多钓一会儿鱼,这样就能钓到更多鱼呢?”
The fisherman shrugs and explains to his new friend that he has all he needs. “Each day, I sleep late, fish a little, and spend time with my children and beautiful wife. In the evening, I go into town, drink wine, play the guitar, and sing and laugh with my friends.”
渔夫耸耸肩,向新朋友解释说他什么都不缺。“每天,我睡到很晚,钓一会儿鱼,然后陪陪我的孩子和美丽的妻子。晚上,我就去镇上,喝点酒,弹弹吉他,和朋友们唱歌说笑。”
The investment banker is puzzled. He wants to help his new friend, who, in his opinion, is clearly confused. The investment banker has helped many businesses and has an MBA and other fancy credentials to his name, so he lays out a plan for the fisherman: “First, you spend more time fishing so you can catch and sell more fish. You use the proceeds to buy a bigger boat, which allows you to catch and sell even more fish. Then you buy a fleet of boats. You hire a team. Vertically integrate! As the CEO of a large, growing enterprise, you could move to the big city. You would take your company public and make millions!”
这位投资银行家感到困惑。他想帮助这位新朋友,在他看来,这位朋友显然很迷茫。这位投资银行家曾帮助过许多企业,拥有工商管理硕士学位和其他一些令人艳羡的资历,于是他为这位渔夫制定了一个计划:“首先,你要花更多时间捕鱼,这样才能捕到更多鱼,卖出更多鱼。用赚来的钱买一艘更大的船,这样你就能捕到更多鱼,卖出更多鱼。然后,你买下一支船队。你雇佣一个团队。进行垂直整合!作为一家大型成长型企业的首席执行官,你可以搬到大城市。你可以让你的公司上市,赚到数百万美元!”
The fisherman looks confused, but smiles. “And then what?” he asks.
渔夫一脸困惑,但还是笑了。“然后呢?”他问道。
The investment banker laughs at the silly question. “Well, then you could retire to a quiet town! You could sleep late, fish a little, and spend time with your children and beautiful wife. In the evening, you could go into town, drink wine, play the guitar, and sing and laugh with your friends.”
投资银行家被这愚蠢的问题逗笑了。“那你就可以退休到安静的小镇去了!你可以睡到自然醒,钓钓鱼,和你的孩子以及美丽的妻子共度时光。晚上,你可以去镇上,喝点酒,弹弹吉他,和朋友们唱歌说笑。”
The fisherman smiles broadly, thanks his new friend for the advice, and wanders off slowly in the warm afternoon sun.
渔夫咧嘴一笑,感谢新朋友的建议,然后缓缓地在温暖的午后阳光中走开了。
The popular interpretation of this parable is that the investment banker is wrong, and the fisherman is right. My own interpretation is that this story isn’t about the fisherman being right and the banker being wrong—it’s about identifying what success and purpose look like to you and building a life that meets that definition. It’s about defining your Enough Life and then working to embrace it.
对这个寓言故事的普遍解读是,投资银行家错了,渔夫是对的。而我的理解是,这个故事并非关于渔夫谁对谁错——而是关于如何定义成功和人生意义,并努力构建符合这种定义的生活。它讲述的是定义你理想中的“足够人生”,然后努力去拥抱它。
Maybe both the fisherman and the banker are happy with their choices and priorities. I’ll let them decide, and the same goes for you.
或许渔夫和银行家都对自己的选择和优先事项感到满意。我会让他们自己决定,你也一样。
In a powerful scene in the movie Cool Runnings, the story of the unlikely journey of a Jamaican bobsled team to the Olympics, the team’s coach, played by the late John Candy, observes to one of the stars of the team: “A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.”
在电影《冰上轻驰》(Cool Runnings)中,讲述了一支牙买加雪橇队不太可能的奥运之旅,影片中有一个震撼人心的场景:由已故的约翰·坎迪饰演的教练对队中的一位明星队员说道:“金牌固然美好,但如果你没有金牌就不够好,那么有了金牌你也永远不会足够好。”
As an ambitious person, you spend most of your life playing a game; everything you do is in anticipation of a future filled with more:
作为一个雄心勃勃的人,你一生中的大部分时间都在玩游戏;你所做的一切都是为了迎接一个充满更多精彩的未来:
“I can’t wait until I have [$X] so I can get that new car.”
“我等不及要攒够[$X]才能买那辆新车。”
“I can’t wait until I have [$Y] so I can get that new house.”
“我等不及要攒够[$Y],这样我就可以买那套新房子了。”
“I can’t wait until I have [$Z] so I can get that second house.”
“我等不及要攒够[$Z],这样我就可以买第二套房子了。”
When the future arrives, you just reset to the next material goal.
当未来到来时,你只需重新开始,设定下一个物质目标即可。
It’s natural, but it’s a dangerous game, one that you will lose eventually. If you convince yourself that your satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness are contingent on the next financial milestone—the next more —you’ll never find it.
这很正常,但却是一场危险的游戏,你最终会输。如果你让自己相信满足感、成就感和幸福感取决于下一个财务里程碑——下一个“更多”——那你永远也找不到它们。
That was what Joseph Heller meant when he spoke those words—“the knowledge that I’ve got enough”—to Kurt Vonnegut all those years ago.
这就是约瑟夫·海勒多年前对库尔特·冯内古特说的那句话——“我知道我已经拥有足够的知识”——的意思。
Because “if you’re not enough without it, you’ll never be enough with it.”
因为“如果你没有它就不够好,那么有了它你也永远不会足够好。”
In 1485, a young merchant named Jakob Fugger had an opportunity. The twenty-six-year-old had recently become a partner in his family’s burgeoning trading firm and was given the authority to strike his own deals. While traveling to Austria, he met Archduke Sigmund, a notoriously big spender and the cousin of Frederick III, the Holy Roman emperor. Sigmund needed more money to finance his high-flying lifestyle, but many of the region’s bankers were fed up with the archduke; he was no longer considered an attractive risk for a prudent banker in an era when laws against usury (lending money at high rates of interest) restricted the financial upside of such loans.
1485年,一位名叫雅各布·富格尔的年轻商人迎来了一个机会。这位26岁的年轻人刚刚成为家族蓬勃发展的贸易公司的合伙人,并被赋予了自主洽谈交易的权力。在前往奥地利的途中,他结识了西格蒙德大公,这位大公以挥霍无度而臭名昭著,同时也是神圣罗马帝国皇帝腓特烈三世的堂兄。西格蒙德需要更多资金来维持他奢靡的生活方式,但该地区的许多银行家都对这位大公感到厌倦;在那个禁止高利贷(以高利率放贷)的法律限制了此类贷款收益的时代,对于谨慎的银行家来说,西格蒙德不再被视为一个有吸引力的投资对象。
Jakob Fugger smelled an opportunity. He agreed to loan three thousand florins to the archduke in exchange for one thousand pounds of silver from the local mines that would be sold to him at a discounted price. Archduke Sigmund appreciated the show of faith and met his end of the deal, delivering the thousand pounds of silver on time at a price of eight dollars per pound, silver that Fugger resold at a 50 percent markup, netting a modest yet attractive return on the deal. More important to the young merchant, this small deal cemented his relationship with one of the most powerful families in Europe. Several years later, the archduke was in need of a much larger loan to finance his latest misstep, so he turned to Fugger, who again stepped up, this time with one hundred thousand florins and an even more aggressive set of repayment terms and conditions. The archduke again met his end of the deal, and Jakob Fugger was officially vaulted into the ranks of the wealthy elite—he had established himself as a merchant and banker willing to take on risk (assuming he felt adequately compensated for it).
雅各布·富格尔嗅到了商机。他同意借给大公三千弗罗林,以换取当地矿山的一千磅白银,并以折扣价出售给他。西格蒙德大公感激富格尔的信任,履行了承诺,按时交付了一千磅白银,价格为每磅八美元。富格尔随后以五折的价格转售这些白银,从中获得了一笔虽不丰厚但颇具吸引力的收益。对这位年轻的商人来说,更重要的是,这笔小交易巩固了他与欧洲最有权势的家族之一的关系。几年后,大公因最近的失误需要一笔更大的贷款,于是他再次找到了富格尔。富格尔再次伸出援手,这次他提供了十万弗罗林,并提出了更为苛刻的还款条件。大公再次履行了他的承诺,雅各布·富格尔正式跻身富裕精英之列——他已确立了自己作为商人和银行家的地位,愿意承担风险(前提是他觉得得到了足够的补偿)。
Over the years that followed, Jakob Fugger’s money dramatically influenced the course of world history. His financial support was sought by kings, emperors, and explorers alike. When Ferdinand Magellan needed financing for his voyage around the world, Jakob Fugger was there. When Spain’s King Charles I sought to become Holy Roman emperor, Jakob Fugger was there. And when free-spending Pope Leo X needed a large sum of money to finance the building of St. Peter’s Basilica, Jakob Fugger was there (repayment of this loan required a massive sale of indulgences—sin-forgiveness tickets—to regular citizens, a practice that drew the ire of a reformer named Martin Luther, who went on to lead the Protestant Reformation). [2] Fugger’s money—and, by extension, his power and influence—shaped the course of the European continent.
在随后的数年里,雅各布·富格尔的财富对世界历史进程产生了巨大影响。无论是国王、皇帝还是探险家,都纷纷寻求他的资助。当费迪南德·麦哲伦需要资金进行环球航行时,雅各布·富格尔伸出了援手。当西班牙国王查理一世觊觎神圣罗马帝国皇帝之位时,雅各布·富格尔也参与其中。而当挥金如土的教皇利奥十世需要巨额资金建造圣彼得大教堂时,雅各布·富格尔同样慷慨解囊(偿还这笔贷款需要向普通民众大量出售赎罪券——一种可以赦免罪孽的凭证——这种做法激怒了后来领导新教改革的改革家马丁·路德)。[2] 富格尔的财富——以及由此延伸出的权力和影响力——塑造了欧洲大陆的历史进程。
His innovative use of accounting methods—he was one of the first to use double-entry bookkeeping, and he established the now standard practice of consolidating multiple operations into a single set of financial statements—allowed him to keep tabs on the entirety of his financial empire, which was vast during his later years. By the time of his death, Jakob Fugger had amassed a fortune equal to $400 billion in today’s money and that represented approximately 2 percent of Europe’s GDP at the time. The astonishing figures have led some to refer to him as the richest man who ever lived.
他对会计方法的创新运用——他是最早采用复式记账法的人之一,并确立了将多项业务合并为一套财务报表的现行标准做法——使他能够掌控其庞大的金融帝国,而他的帝国在他晚年已发展得十分惊人。雅各布·富格尔去世时,其财富相当于今天的4000亿美元,约占当时欧洲GDP的2%。如此惊人的数字使一些人称他为有史以来最富有的人。
Greg Steinmetz, a journalist and author of a comprehensive book on Fugger (appropriately titled The Richest Man Who Ever Lived ), wrote, “[Fugger’s] deeds changed history more than those of most monarchs, revolutionaries, prophets and poets ever did, and his methods blazed the path for five centuries of capitalists…. He was the first modern businessman in that he was the first to pursue wealth for its own sake and without fear of damnation.” [3]
记者兼作家格雷格·斯坦梅茨(Greg Steinmetz)撰写了一本关于富格尔的全面著作(恰如其分地命名为《有史以来最富有的人》),他写道:“富格尔的功绩比大多数君主、革命家、先知和诗人更能改变历史,他的方法为五个世纪的资本家开辟了道路……他是第一个现代商人,因为他是第一个为了财富本身而追求财富,并且不惧下地狱的人。”[3]
Jakob Fugger was, in many ways, the antithesis of the central idea behind The 5 Types of Wealth. His pursuit of money was the absolute, defining focus of his life. Steinmetz offered a depressing account of the results of this narrow focus: “He had few friends, only business associates. His only child was illegitimate. His nephews, to whom he relinquished his empire, disappointed him. While on his deathbed, with no one at his side other than paid assistants, his wife was with her lover. But he succeeded on his own terms. His objective was neither comfort nor happiness. It was to stack up money until the end.” [4] He chased more from start to finish, sacrificing everything else in his life to that chase.
雅各布·富格尔在很多方面都与《财富的五种类型》的核心理念背道而驰。他对金钱的追求是他生命中绝对的、决定性的焦点。斯坦梅茨对这种狭隘的追求所带来的后果做出了令人沮丧的描述:“他朋友寥寥,只有商业伙伴。他唯一的孩子是私生子。他把商业帝国传给了侄子们,但他们却让他失望。在他弥留之际,除了几个雇佣的助手,身边空无一人,他的妻子却和情人在一起。但他按照自己的方式取得了成功。他的目标既不是舒适,也不是幸福,而是直到生命的尽头都在积累财富。”[4] 他从始至终都在追逐更多,为了这个目标牺牲了生命中的一切。
To his credit, Fugger was wise in his understanding of himself. When asked when he planned to retire, he said that his thirst for more money would never be quenched, a fact that clearly contributed to his striking financial success. His pursuit of money and his apparent enjoyment of “the money game” around it is a trend that we can trace into the present. To understand the commanding role of money in our lives today and learn how we can use it as a tool rather than letting it control us, we must take a brief trip back in time to understand how we got here.
值得称道的是,富格尔对自己有着清醒的认识。当被问及何时退休时,他表示自己对金钱的渴望永无止境,这显然是他取得惊人财富的关键因素之一。他对金钱的追求以及他对围绕金钱展开的“金钱游戏”的乐在其中,这种趋势至今仍然存在。为了理解金钱在当今生活中举足轻重的地位,并学习如何将其作为工具而非被其所控制,我们必须回顾历史,探寻我们是如何走到今天的。
Money has slowly transitioned from a tool with a grounding in the reality of the physical world to something that often resembles a fantastical creation of the human imagination. Accordingly, the nature of Financial Wealth has transitioned from largely visible to largely invisible—a transition that creates specific obstacles you need to avoid on your journey.
金钱已逐渐从一种根植于现实世界的工具,转变为一种常常类似于人类想象力的奇幻造物。相应地,金融财富的本质也从主要可见转变为主要不可见——这种转变会带来一些特定的障碍,你需要在追寻财富的道路上避开它们。
The origin of money is a contested topic in economic and anthropological circles. The most conventional understanding suggests that barter—the exchange of one product or service for another—predated money and that its inefficiencies led to the creation of money. The primary support for this account is based on a narrative of Adam Smith, the eighteenth-century Scottish economist and philosopher who, in his book The Wealth of Nations, envisioned a scene in which a baker and a butcher are unable to make an exchange because the baker does not have anything that the butcher wants. According to his narrative, these inefficiencies with a barter economy led to the invention of money to facilitate, organize, and manage the free flow of goods and services. However, anthropologists have struggled to find any evidence to support this barter-to-money transition; some even suggest the inverse transition, that barter emerged as a supplement to money. The late David Graeber, an anthropologist at the London School of Economics and author of Debt: The First 5,000 Years, wrote, “In most of the cases we know about, [barter] takes place between people who are familiar with the use of money, but for one reason or another, don’t have a lot of it around.” [5]
货币的起源在经济学和人类学界一直存在争议。最普遍的观点认为,物物交换——即用一种商品或服务交换另一种商品或服务——早于货币出现,并且物物交换的低效性导致了货币的诞生。这一观点的主要依据是18世纪苏格兰经济学家兼哲学家亚当·斯密在其著作《国富论》中描绘的场景:一位面包师和一位屠夫无法进行交易,因为面包师没有屠夫想要的商品。根据斯密的描述,物物交换经济的低效性促使人们发明了货币,以促进、组织和管理商品和服务的自由流动。然而,人类学家一直难以找到任何证据来支持这种从物物交换到货币的转变;一些学者甚至提出了相反的转变,即物物交换是作为货币的补充而出现的。已故的大卫·格雷伯(David Graeber)是伦敦政治经济学院的人类学家,也是《债务:最初的5000年》一书的作者。他写道:“在我们所知的绝大多数情况下,(以物易物)发生在熟悉货币使用的人之间,但由于某种原因,他们身边并没有很多钱。”[5]
Regardless of the details of its origin, money was clearly essential to the growth and development of human society. While excavating the remains of the ancient Mesopotamian capital of Uruk (located in present-day Iraq), archaeologists uncovered etched tablets dating back to 3500 B.C. that they believe were used to track debts. These tablets represent some of the oldest evidence of written language, leading some archaeologists and anthropologists to conclude that the invention of writing was a by-product of the need to track and manage the flow of money and commerce.
无论其起源细节如何,货币对人类社会的增长和发展显然至关重要。在发掘古代美索不达米亚首都乌鲁克(位于今伊拉克境内)的遗址时,考古学家发现了可追溯至公元前3500年的刻字泥板,他们认为这些泥板曾被用于记录债务。这些泥板是现存最古老的文字证据之一,这使得一些考古学家和人类学家得出结论:文字的发明是追踪和管理资金及商业流通需求的副产品。
Money took on a variety of forms in its early years. [6] Sumerian barley, used as money as early as 3000 B.C., is believed to have been the first official currency. A set quantity of barley was exchangeable for a variety of goods and services in Sumer. Cowrie shells, the white shells of small sea snails abundant in the Indian Ocean, were used as currency in several ancient cultures, from Egypt and other African regions to China and Australia, as early as 1200 B.C. Their portability and relative rarity in most parts of the world made them a suitable form of currency across these regions. The simple white shells, which ironically became a 1990s pop-culture phenomenon worn on necklaces by pop icons and teenagers around the world, had some of the greatest reach and longevity of any form of money in the history of humanity.
货币在早期呈现出多种形式。[6] 苏美尔大麦早在公元前3000年就被用作货币,据信是最早的官方货币。在苏美尔,一定数量的大麦可以兑换各种商品和服务。印度洋盛产的小型海螺——白色贝壳,早在公元前1200年就被多个古代文明用作货币,从埃及和其他非洲地区到中国和澳大利亚。由于其便于携带且在世界大部分地区相对稀少,因此成为这些地区理想的货币形式。这些简单的白色贝壳,讽刺的是,在20世纪90年代成为了一种流行文化现象,被世界各地的流行偶像和青少年佩戴在项链上。在人类历史上,这种货币的流通范围和使用寿命都堪称最广。
Anthropologists believe the earliest metal money and rudimentary coins were created in China around 1000 B.C., with modern coinage first developed by the Lydians, an ancient culture in present-day Turkey, in the sixth century B.C. These modern coins were made from precious metals, so they had a degree of inherent value, and they were generally imprinted with the images of emperors or gods as a marker of their legitimacy. As they were small, portable, and difficult to forge, they reigned supreme as the modern form of money for many years.
人类学家认为,最早的金属货币和简易硬币大约在公元前1000年左右出现在中国,而现代货币则是由吕底亚人——位于今土耳其境内的一个古代文明——在公元前6世纪发展起来的。这些现代硬币由贵金属制成,因此具有一定的内在价值,并且通常印有皇帝或神祇的形象,以彰显其合法性。由于它们体积小、便于携带且难以伪造,因此在很长一段时间内,它们都是现代货币的主要流通形式。
Up until this point, money had been a largely visible, physical world construct. The quest to amass more wealth meant the accumulation and storage of real, tangible, physical world assets with some degree of inherent value, whether it was barley, cowrie shells, or precious metals. That all changed when Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, began to mass-produce an innovation that changed the world forever: paper money.
在此之前,货币主要是一种看得见摸得着的物质实体。人们追求财富积累,意味着要囤积和储存具有一定内在价值的真实、有形的资产,无论是大麦、贝壳还是贵金属。这一切随着成吉思汗之孙忽必烈开始大规模印制一项永远改变世界的创新而改变:纸币。
A Venetian merchant named Marco Polo traveled through China in the thirteenth century and later offered a detailed account of this discovery: “All these pieces of paper are issued with as much solemnity and authority as if they were of pure gold or silver…and when all is prepared duly, the chief officer deputed by the Khan smears the seal entrusted to him with vermilion, and impresses it on the paper, so that the form of the seal remains imprinted upon it in red; the money is then authentic. Anyone forging it would be punished with death.” [7] The paper notes were originally backed by silver but eventually became a fiat currency (meaning they were no longer backed by a tangible commodity). In a 2019 article in The New Yorker, writer John Lanchester commented, “The problem with many new forms of money is that people are reluctant to adopt them. Genghis Khan’s grandson didn’t have that difficulty. He took measures to ensure the authenticity of his currency, and if you didn’t use it—if you wouldn’t accept it in payment, or preferred to use gold or silver or copper or iron bars or pearls or salt or coins or any of the older forms of payment prevalent in China—he would have you killed. This solved the question of uptake.” [8] Quite well, I imagine.
十三世纪,一位名叫马可·波罗的威尼斯商人游历中国,后来对这一发现做了详细的描述:“所有这些纸币的发行都如同纯金纯银一般庄严权威……一切准备就绪后,可汗委派的首席官员会将印章涂上朱砂,印在纸上,使印章的图案以红色印在纸上;这样,纸币就成了真品。任何伪造者都会被处以死刑。”[7] 这些纸币最初以白银为后盾,但最终变成了法定货币(意味着它们不再以实物商品为后盾)。 2019年,《纽约客》杂志刊登了约翰·兰彻斯特的一篇文章,文中他评论道:“许多新货币形式的问题在于人们不愿接受它们。成吉思汗的孙子却没有遇到这种难题。他采取措施确保其货币的真实性,如果你不使用它——如果你不接受它作为支付手段,或者更喜欢使用金、银、铜、铁条、珍珠、盐、硬币或中国当时流行的任何其他传统支付方式——他就会杀了你。这解决了接受度的问题。”[8] 我想,这确实很有效。
Kublai Khan’s invention represented a giant leap forward—the first instance where a piece of paper, cheaply mass-produced and with little to no inherent value, was deemed valuable and guaranteed by the force and authority of the government. Paper money slowly spread around the world because it enabled faster, more efficient commerce and growth.
忽必烈汗的发明代表着一次巨大的飞跃——这是历史上第一次,一张廉价批量生产、本身几乎没有任何价值的纸张,被赋予了价值,并由政府的强制力和权威予以担保。纸币逐渐在世界各地流通,因为它促进了更快、更高效的商业活动和经济增长。
The next giant leap occurred when the Bank of England, a private company formed in 1694 to act as a financier for the British government, printed banknotes as receipts for gold deposits. These paper banknotes, which could, in theory, be redeemed for actual gold in the vaults at the bank, became an effective currency. Clever governments and bankers realized that they could stimulate commerce and growth by issuing these paper assets above and beyond the actual gold or silver that was held in the vaults, a system known as fractional-reserve banking that became the standard operating procedure of banks around the world (and remains in place today). This system generally functions well unless all the depositors come and ask for their gold at once, in which case you have the makings of a classic bank run, where a seemingly healthy bank quickly becomes insolvent (a phenomenon we’ve seen as recently as 2023 with the rapid collapse of the well-respected Silicon Valley Bank).
下一个重大飞跃发生在英格兰银行时期。这家成立于1694年的私人公司,旨在为英国政府提供融资,它开始印制纸币作为黄金存款的凭证。这些纸币理论上可以兑换银行金库中的实物黄金,从而成为一种有效的货币。精明的政府和银行家意识到,除了金库中实际持有的黄金或白银之外,发行这些纸质资产可以刺激商业和经济增长。这种被称为部分准备金制度的系统,后来成为世界各地银行的标准操作程序(至今仍在沿用)。这套系统通常运作良好,除非所有储户同时前来索要黄金。在这种情况下,就会引发典型的银行挤兑,一家看似健康的银行会迅速破产(我们最近一次目睹这种现象是在2023年,备受尊敬的硅谷银行迅速倒闭)。
For hundreds of years, conventional wisdom held that as long as the paper money was, at least in principle, connected to gold, the global economy built on it could continue to function and thrive. Up through the early twentieth century, all the world’s major economies operated on a so-called gold standard, meaning the currency was backed by gold, and a certain quantity of paper money could be taken to the government and exchanged for a fixed amount of gold. In the United States, this meant that any citizen could exchange $20.67 for one ounce of gold. The value of the paper currencies was tied to gold.
数百年来,人们普遍认为,只要纸币至少在理论上与黄金挂钩,建立在其上的全球经济就能继续运转并繁荣发展。直到20世纪初,世界所有主要经济体都实行所谓的金本位制,这意味着货币以黄金为支撑,一定数量的纸币可以到政府兑换成固定数量的黄金。在美国,这意味着任何公民都可以用20.67美元兑换一盎司黄金。纸币的价值与黄金挂钩。
But while the system worked in the good times, it began to show major cracks in the bad. During the early years of the Great Depression, panicked citizens redeemed their paper currency for gold and hoarded the precious metal, depleting the reserves in the vaults of the major global powers. In 1931, the Bank of England abandoned the gold standard, and in 1933, concerned that the flight to gold would make the economy grind to a screeching halt at a time when it needed to move, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced the United States would do the same.
然而,尽管这套体系在经济繁荣时期运转良好,但在经济衰退时期却开始显露出重大缺陷。在大萧条初期,恐慌的民众纷纷将纸币兑换成黄金,并囤积这种贵金属,导致主要强国的金库储备锐减。1931年,英格兰银行放弃了金本位制。1933年,由于担心民众涌向黄金会使经济在亟需发展之际陷入停滞,富兰克林·德拉诺·罗斯福总统宣布美国也将放弃金本位制。
These groundbreaking decisions untethered paper money from its connection to gold and shifted money from a system rooted in the physical world to a system tethered to something intangible—a system whose only constraint was human imagination.
这些开创性的决定使纸币脱离了与黄金的联系,并将货币从以物质世界为基础的系统转移到以无形事物为基础的系统——一个唯一的限制是人类想象力的系统。
That shift paved the way for the creation of a seemingly infinite variety of financial instruments and tools, a trend that further accelerated with the advent of computers and the internet, which brings us to the present and into a modern money game governed by bits and bytes rather than barley, shells, gold, and banknotes.
这一转变为种类繁多的金融工具的创造铺平了道路,随着计算机和互联网的出现,这一趋势进一步加速,使我们来到了今天,进入了一个由比特和字节而不是大麦、贝壳、黄金和钞票支配的现代货币游戏。
Jakob Fugger and John D. Rockefeller had to manage their financial and business empires via a network of paper ledgers and accounts, but most of the financial wealth of today exists on computers and cloud servers. Cash-based economies are dwindling; using cash is increasingly viewed as a sign of dated infrastructure (as in certain developing countries) or illicit activity.
雅各布·富格尔和约翰·D·洛克菲勒当年不得不依靠纸质账簿和账户来管理他们的金融和商业帝国,但如今大部分金融财富都存在于计算机和云服务器上。以现金为基础的经济正在萎缩;使用现金越来越被视为基础设施陈旧(例如在某些发展中国家)或非法活动的标志。
The modern money game is played in a digital world, where money exists merely as numbers on a screen (in fact, the total amount of money in the world is multiple orders of magnitude higher than the total amount of coins and notes). A transaction between two parties used to involve a physical exchange, but it is now as simple as pressing a button and watching the numbers go down on one screen and up on the other. When you consider the amount of money in your account, it may feel tangible, but it is no more than a number on a lit-up screen. Your trust that you will wake up tomorrow and the number on that screen will be correct—and that it is worth something—keeps the system flowing.
现代的金钱游戏发生在数字世界,金钱仅仅以屏幕上的数字形式存在(事实上,世界上的货币总量比硬币和纸币的总量高出几个数量级)。过去,双方之间的交易需要实物交换,而现在只需按下一个按钮,看着屏幕上的数字一个比一个数字少,另一个屏幕上的数字多,就完成了。当你看到账户里的金额时,它或许感觉触手可及,但它不过是屏幕上一个闪烁的数字。你相信明天醒来屏幕上的数字是正确的——并且它确实有价值——这种信念维系着整个系统的运转。
The modern money game looks very much like, well, a game.
现代的金钱游戏看起来很像一场游戏。
If the old game was the boring bank with simple cash exchanges and a limited array of deposit and investment options, the new game looks more like an amusement park with an almost unlimited variety of rides, most of which have no minimum height requirement to participate. It is a creation of the human imagination, designed to draw you in. Financial apps spend millions to make their products addicting; your desire for novelty, dopamine, and entertainment is their profit opportunity.
如果说旧版金融游戏是枯燥乏味的银行,只有简单的现金兑换和有限的存款投资选择,那么新版金融游戏则更像是一座游乐园,拥有几乎无穷无尽的游乐设施,而且大多数项目都没有身高限制。它是人类想象力的产物,旨在吸引你沉迷其中。金融应用投入巨资打造令人上瘾的产品;你对新鲜感、多巴胺和娱乐的渴望,正是他们的盈利机会。
Unfortunately, while the options are seemingly endless, many of the fancy investments and financial instruments are singing a siren song and luring you into danger.
不幸的是,虽然选择看似无穷无尽,但许多花哨的投资和金融工具却像海妖的歌声一样,引诱你走向危险。
You walk around the amusement park and hear the subtle, devious drone from its attendants:
你漫步在游乐园里,会听到工作人员发出一种微妙而狡猾的嗡嗡声:
“My course on flipping houses is the key to your financial independence.”
“我的房屋翻新课程是你实现财务自由的关键。”
“This cryptocurrency is going to fly.”
“这种加密货币将会大受欢迎。”
“That passive real estate investment is a sure thing.”
“这种被动式房地产投资绝对稳赚不赔。”
“These NFTs and fractionalized trading cards look like a steal.”
“这些NFT和碎片化交易卡看起来简直太划算了。”
“If you miss out on this opportunity, you’ll regret it the rest of your life.”
“如果你错过了这个机会,你会后悔一辈子。”
In a financial universe that tempts your imagination, focus on what is real. The simple, boring basics that you will read about in the coming chapter still stand out as the way to build the life you want. You don’t need to ride every ride or play every game. You don’t even have to do it better than anyone else—it’s not a competition.
在纷繁复杂的金融世界中,要专注于现实。你将在下一章读到的那些简单却略显枯燥的基本原则,仍然是构建理想生活的关键。你无需体验每一种刺激,也无需参与每一种游戏。你甚至不必比任何人都做得更好——这并非一场竞争。
To succeed, all you need to do is stick to the basics and play your game long enough.
要想成功,你只需要坚持基本功,并且坚持玩游戏足够长的时间。
Thomas Stanley was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1944. He grew up in a humble, lower-middle-class household; his father worked as a subway driver and his mother was a secretary. Stanley attended college and then graduate school, earning a PhD in business administration from the University of Georgia before settling into a life as a professor at Georgia State University. As a professor, he developed a fascination with the habits and practices of the wealthy, so much so that he decided to leave his stable career in academia to research and write about America’s millionaires. In 1996, Dr. Stanley coauthored a book based on his research and findings. The Millionaire Next Door quickly became a global phenomenon, selling over three million copies to date.
托马斯·斯坦利于1944年出生于纽约布朗克斯区。他出身于一个普通的下层中产阶级家庭;父亲是地铁司机,母亲是秘书。斯坦利先后就读大学和研究生院,在佐治亚大学获得工商管理博士学位,之后在佐治亚州立大学担任教授。作为一名教授,他对富人的习惯和生活方式产生了浓厚的兴趣,以至于他决定放弃稳定的学术生涯,转而研究和撰写有关美国百万富翁的文章。1996年,斯坦利博士与人合著了一本基于其研究成果的书籍。《邻家的百万富翁》迅速风靡全球,迄今为止已售出超过三百万册。
The book offered a novel perspective on the path to financial wealth. You do not need to have an extraordinarily lucrative job, own a business, or receive a large inheritance, he wrote; it could be achieved through the adoption of a set of basic financial-wealth-building principles. It dispelled the notion that the wealthy all lived in gated mansions with fancy foreign cars—a lifestyle incomprehensible to most ordinary people—and replaced it with the idea that there was a millionaire living right next door.
这本书对通往财富之路提出了全新的视角。作者写道,你无需拥有一份收入惊人的工作、拥有自己的企业或继承一大笔遗产;只要遵循一套基本的财富积累原则,就能实现财富自由。它打破了富人都住在豪宅里、开着名贵外国车的刻板印象——这种生活方式对大多数普通人来说难以想象——取而代之的是,百万富翁就住在你的隔壁。
While the specific strategies in the book may spark debate among financial minds, its central premise—that anyone can build a life of Financial Wealth—is empowering. Allow that premise to serve as your foundation as we construct a simple model for the path that anyone can follow.
本书中的具体策略或许会引发金融界人士的争论,但其核心理念——人人都能建立财富人生——却极具启发意义。让我们以此理念为基础,构建一个任何人都能遵循的简单路径模型。
Financial Wealth is built on three pillars:
金融财富建立在三大支柱之上:
Income generation: Create stable, growing income through primary employment, secondary employment, and passive streams
创收:通过主要就业、次要就业和被动收入来源创造稳定增长的收入。
Expense management: Manage expenses so that they are reliably below your income level and grow at a slower rate
支出管理:合理控制支出,使其始终低于收入水平,并保持较低的增长速度。
Long-term investment: Invest the difference between your income and expenses in long-term, efficient, low-cost assets that compound effectively
长期投资:将收入与支出之间的差额投资于长期、高效、低成本且能有效复利增长的资产。
This simple model is universally effective because it converts short-term net cash flow into long-term wealth. As you measure Financial Wealth as part of your new scoreboard, the three pillars—income generation, expense management, and long-term investment—provide a blueprint for the right action to build it. By developing an understanding of these pillars and the high-leverage systems that affect them, you can begin to create the right outcomes.
这个简单的模型之所以普遍有效,是因为它能将短期净现金流转化为长期财富。在将财务财富纳入新的衡量标准时,收入创造、支出管理和长期投资这三大支柱,为构建财富提供了正确的行动蓝图。通过深入了解这些支柱以及影响它们的高杠杆系统,您就能开始创造理想的结果。
The gap between your income and your expenses is the most important tool in your financial independence tool kit—and it’s a tool that you get to create.
收入与支出之间的差距是你实现财务自由最重要的工具——而且这个工具是由你自己创造的。
Income is the cash inflow from primary employment, secondary employment, or passive income streams (rental properties, dividend stocks, et cetera). Expenses are the cash outflows of day-to-day life (food, shelter, transportation, et cetera), debt service (interest and principal payments on outstanding loans), experiences (vacations and events), taxes (if not automatically deducted out of income), and luxuries (material purchases, gifts, et cetera). The gap that you generate—the difference between your income and expenses—is the foundational asset on which Financial Wealth is built. The larger the gap, the larger the asset base to invest and compound.
收入是指来自主要职业、次要职业或被动收入来源(例如出租房产、分红股票等)的现金流入。支出是指日常生活中的现金流出(例如食物、住房、交通等)、债务偿还(未偿贷款的利息和本金支付)、体验活动(例如度假和参加活动)、税款(如果未自动从收入中扣除)以及奢侈品消费(例如购买物品、礼物等)。收入与支出之间的差额——即您创造的资金缺口——是构建财务财富的基础资产。资金缺口越大,可用于投资和复利的资产规模就越大。
Building a robust income engine composed of strong, stable, growing income streams should be the primary focus on your journey to generate this gap. The reason is simple: You can cut your expenses only so much, but you can increase your income forever.
构建一个由强劲、稳定且不断增长的收入来源组成的稳健收入引擎,应该是你弥补资金缺口的首要任务。原因很简单:支出削减的幅度有限,但收入却可以无限增长。
A basic model to establish a robust income engine:
建立稳健收入引擎的基本模型:
Build skills: Marketable skills (sales, design, copywriting, software engineering, and so on) are assets that you can create and compound. Every new skill is built on top of existing skills to create a unique portfolio.
培养技能:市场所需的技能(销售、设计、文案撰写、软件工程等等)是你可以培养和积累的资产。每一项新技能都建立在现有技能的基础上,从而打造独一无二的技能组合。
Leverage skills: Strategically deploy the marketable skills to convert them into income. The means of deployment exists on a risk spectrum from stable, lower-risk, time-for-money primary employment to volatile, higher-risk self-employment and entrepreneurship.
发挥技能优势:策略性地运用自身具备的市场技能,将其转化为收入。运用方式的选择范围很广,从稳定、低风险的以时间换取收入的固定工作,到波动性较大、风险较高的自雇和创业,不一而足。
You build skills and then leverage those skills to establish a robust income engine for your present and future Financial Wealth goals.
你培养技能,然后利用这些技能,为你现在和未来的财务财富目标建立一个强大的收入引擎。
As you build that engine, manage expenses to live well within your means. This does not mean that you should give up on everything fun and live a spartan lifestyle, but you should implement the basic tenets of expense management:
在打造你的引擎的同时,要合理安排开支,量入为出。这并不意味着你应该放弃一切乐趣,过着苦行僧般的生活,而是应该遵循基本的开支管理原则:
Create (and stick to) a budget: Plan your monthly expenses and track your performance against them. Automate the savings and ensure you have a rainy-day fund that will cover about six months of expenses to cushion against any unexpected turbulence.
制定并严格执行预算:规划每月支出并跟踪执行情况。设置自动储蓄,并确保预留一笔应急资金,足以支付大约六个月的开支,以应对任何意外情况。
Manage expectations: The greatest risk on your journey to financial independence is expectation inflation, often referred to as lifestyle creep. Never allow your expectations to grow faster than your income.
管理好预期:通往财务自由之路上的最大风险是预期膨胀,通常被称为“生活方式膨胀”。切勿让你的预期增长速度超过你的收入增长速度。
Those who are willing to live below their means in their early years are highly likely to reap the rewards in the future. It’s easier to be frugal in those early years, as there is a natural growth in expenses from family or related considerations in the later years.
那些在早年就愿意节俭度日的人,将来很可能会获得丰厚的回报。早年节俭更容易做到,因为随着年龄增长,家庭或其他相关因素带来的开支也会自然增加。
Your goal is for the gap between income and expenses to grow over time, meaning your expenses should never grow at the same rate as your income. Avoiding lifestyle creep and excessive debt burdens creates a gap that grows at an accelerating rate, which enables incremental investment to accelerate over time. If you invest appropriately, this is a surefire setup for a future of abundant Financial Wealth.
你的目标是让收入与支出之间的差距随着时间推移而不断扩大,这意味着你的支出增长速度永远不应与收入增长速度持平。避免生活方式的过度扩张和过重的债务负担,就能使收入与支出之间的差距加速增长,从而使增量投资也能随着时间的推移而加速增长。如果你的投资方式得当,这无疑是为未来积累丰厚财富奠定坚实基础的可靠途径。
The first rule of compounding: Never interrupt it unnecessarily.
—Charlie Munger
复利投资的第一条原则:永远不要无故中断它。——查理·芒格
In an ancient fable, a young inventor arrives at a king’s court and presents the king with his latest invention, a game he calls chess. Pleased with the new game, the king offers the inventor any reward he desires.
在一个古老的寓言故事中,一位年轻的发明家来到国王的宫廷,向国王展示了他的最新发明——一种他称之为“象棋”的游戏。国王对这个新游戏非常满意,并答应给予发明家任何他想要的奖励。
The young inventor replies, “Your Highness, I do not ask for money or jewels; I simply ask for a little rice. A single grain on the first square, two grains on the second, four on the third, eight on the fourth, and so on, for the full sixty-four squares of this chessboard.”
这位年轻的发明家回答说:“殿下,我并不要求金钱或珠宝;我只要求一点米。第一个格子放一粒米,第二个格子放两粒米,第三个格子放四粒米,第四个格子放八粒米,以此类推,直到棋盘上的六十四个格子都放满。”
The king, surprised to have gotten such a great bargain, smiles and summons his treasurer.
国王对如此划算的交易感到惊讶,笑着召见了司库。
As the treasurer begins to issue the rice to the inventor, it becomes clear that the king has underestimated the request. On the final square at the end of the first row, there are 128 grains of rice. On the final square at the end of the second row, there are 32,768 grains of rice. By the middle square of the third row, there are 524,288 grains of rice. Realizing he has been duped, the king signals to his guards, and the young inventor is executed, a cheeky smile plastered across his face.
当司库开始向发明家分发大米时,国王显然低估了所需的数量。第一排最后一个方格里只有128粒米;第二排最后一个方格里有32768粒米;到了第三排中间的方格里,米粒数量竟达到了524288粒。国王意识到自己被骗了,便示意卫兵处死这位年轻的发明家,而他脸上却带着一丝狡黠的笑容。
The cruel king was smart to act when he did, for if he had allowed the process to continue, he would have owed the inventor over eighteen quintillion (that’s 18 with 18 zeros after it!) grains of rice.
残暴的国王明智地采取了行动,因为如果他允许这个过程继续下去,他将欠发明家超过一千八万亿亿(也就是 18 后面有 18 个零!)粒大米。
This infamous story is perhaps the most vivid visualization of one of the greatest forces in our natural world, a force that we must all understand and put to work on our journey to build a life of Financial Wealth.
这个臭名昭著的故事或许是对我们自然界最伟大的力量之一最生动的形象描绘,这种力量我们都必须了解并运用到我们构建财务财富的人生旅程中。
That force: compounding.
这种力量:复合作用。
Compound interest is interest calculated and paid on both the initial principal balance and all of the accumulated interest. Compound interest is what allows an investment to grow at an accelerating rate (just as the rice grains did on the king’s chessboard). As a simple example, imagine $1 invested today at a 10 percent compounded annual return. By year 10, it’s about $2.60. By year 20, it’s about $6.70. By year 30, it’s about $17.40. By year 50, that $1 has grown to over $117. A visual representation of this compounding is striking: The growth comes slowly at first, then all at once.
复利是指对本金和所有累积利息都进行计算和支付的利息。复利使投资能够以惊人的速度增长(就像棋盘上的米粒一样)。举个简单的例子,假设今天投资1美元,年复利收益率为10%。到第10年,这笔投资大约是2.60美元。到第20年,大约是6.70美元。到第30年,大约是17.40美元。到第50年,这1美元已经增长到超过117美元。复利的威力可以用图表直观地展现:起初增长缓慢,然后突然爆发式增长。
Benjamin Franklin summarized compound interest in his quintessentially pithy manner: “Money makes money. And the money that money makes, makes money.”
本杰明·富兰克林用他一贯简洁明了的方式总结了复利:“钱生钱。钱生的钱,又生钱。”
Warren Buffett is history’s most famous investor. Interestingly, it was his rejection from Harvard Business School that may have set his career on its legendary trajectory. He enrolled at Columbia instead, and there he met and studied under the legendary investor Benjamin Graham. At Columbia he learned the core tenets of his investing philosophy: intrinsic value, margin of safety, and, most important, the power of compounding. During his long and illustrious investing career, Warren Buffett amassed a net worth of over $130 billion, a figure made even more stunning by the fact that the vast majority of this wealth was built after his sixtieth birthday. According to most estimates, he reached $1 million at age thirty, $25 million at age forty, $375 million at age fifty, and $1 billion at age fifty-six. That means that it took him roughly thirty-two years (from when he started working for Benjamin Graham at age twenty-four up to his fifty-sixth birthday) to earn his first billion but just thirty-seven years to earn his next $129 billion.
沃伦·巴菲特是历史上最著名的投资者。有趣的是,他被哈佛商学院拒之门外,或许正是这段经历开启了他传奇的职业生涯。他转而进入哥伦比亚大学,在那里结识了传奇投资家本杰明·格雷厄姆并师从他。在哥伦比亚大学,他学习到了自己投资理念的核心原则:内在价值、安全边际,以及最重要的——复利的力量。在他漫长而辉煌的投资生涯中,沃伦·巴菲特积累了超过1300亿美元的净资产,更令人惊叹的是,这笔财富的绝大部分都是在他60岁之后积累的。据大多数估计,他30岁时身价达到100万美元,40岁时达到2500万美元,50岁时达到3.75亿美元,56岁时达到10亿美元。这意味着他花了大约 32 年时间(从 24 岁开始为本杰明·格雷厄姆工作到 56 岁生日)才赚到他的第一个 10 亿美元,但只用了 37 年就赚到了他的下一个 1290 亿美元。
Warren Buffett created one of history’s greatest compounding machines, got out of its way, and allowed it to work on his behalf.
沃伦·巴菲特打造了历史上最伟大的复利机器之一,然后放手让它为他工作。
When it comes to leveraging compounding to build Financial Wealth, we all need to take a lesson from Buffett: Time, not average annual returns, is the most important factor. Morgan Housel, the bestselling author of The Psychology of Money and Same as Ever, adds clarity to this point: “All compounding is, is returns to the power of time, but time is the exponent. So that’s to me what you want to maximize.” [9]
在利用复利积累财富方面,我们都应该向巴菲特学习:时间,而不是年均收益率,才是最重要的因素。畅销书《金钱心理学》和《一成不变》的作者摩根·豪塞尔进一步阐明了这一点:“复利的本质是时间幂次方的回报,而时间是指数。所以,在我看来,你应该最大化的是时间。”[9]
The most common and most attractive way to harness the full power of compound interest is to invest in and hold liquid market assets, such as stocks or low-cost diversified funds. When you hear financial advisers or experts referring to compounding, investments in these market-based assets are typically what they mean. People spend countless hours and considerable energy worrying about selecting the perfect mix of stocks or assets to generate a slightly higher return, or they pay advisers to do that for them when the math suggests that simply buying, holding, and compounding a diversified market index fund will generate the most attractive time-, energy-, and risk-adjusted long-term outcomes. Unless you’re a professional investor with a specific edge and a track record of outperforming the market, it’s unlikely that you will consistently beat an index fund, so you’re almost always better off taking common returns and allowing your time in the market to be the uncommon factor that drives your outsize rewards.
充分利用复利效应最常见、最吸引人的方式是投资并持有流动性强的市场资产,例如股票或低成本的多元化基金。当财务顾问或专家谈到复利时,他们通常指的就是投资这些市场资产。人们花费无数时间和精力去精心挑选股票或资产的完美组合,以期获得略高的回报,或者花钱请顾问代劳。然而,数学计算表明,简单地买入、持有并进行复利投资于多元化市场指数基金,就能获得最具吸引力的、经时间、精力和风险调整后的长期收益。除非你是拥有特定优势和跑赢市场记录的专业投资者,否则你不太可能持续跑赢指数基金。因此,你几乎总是应该选择普通的收益方式,让你的投资时间成为推动你获得超额回报的关键因素。
Nick Maggiulli, author of the bestselling book Just Keep Buying, is a vocal proponent of the long-term buy-and-hold investment strategy. When I asked him about his best advice to his younger self, he focused on the importance of saving and investing heavily in your early years. Starting early and investing often is a tried-and-true approach for building Financial Wealth. The philosophy’s effectiveness, Maggiulli noted, is driven by two factors: “Money invested earlier in time typically grows more than money invested later in time [and] compounding money is easier than saving money.” Starting early places the time exponent Morgan Housel highlighted firmly in your corner.
畅销书《Just Keep Buying》的作者尼克·马吉乌利(Nick Maggiulli)是长期买入并持有投资策略的积极倡导者。当我问他如果能给年轻的自己什么建议时,他强调了在年轻时大量储蓄和投资的重要性。尽早开始并经常投资是积累财富的行之有效的方法。马吉乌利指出,这种理念的有效性源于两个因素:“早期投资的资金通常比后期投资的资金增长更快;而且复利比储蓄更容易。” 尽早开始投资,就能让你充分受益于摩根·豪斯尔(Morgan Housel)强调的时间指数。
Paraphrasing a well-known proverb: The best time to start was twenty years ago; the second best time is today.
套用一句著名的谚语:开始的最佳时间是二十年前;其次是现在。
Average returns compounded over long periods produce extraordinary outcomes [10] :
长期复利平均收益会产生非凡的结果[10]:
If a twenty-two-year-old invested $10,000 in the S&P 500 index in January 1980, she would have a retirement nest egg of well over $1 million today (assuming reinvestment of dividends along the way).
如果一位 22 岁的女性在 1980 年 1 月投资 10,000 美元购买标准普尔 500 指数,那么她今天将拥有超过 100 万美元的退休金(假设在此过程中进行股息再投资)。
If that same person invested just $100 per month after the initial investment, she would have a portfolio of well over $2 million today.
如果这个人从最初投资之后每月再投资 100 美元,那么她今天将拥有超过 200 万美元的投资组合。
If she ratcheted up her monthly investment to $1,000, she would have a portfolio of over $10 million today.
如果她将每月投资额提高到 1000 美元,那么她今天将拥有超过 1000 万美元的投资组合。
Remember, these figures do not require special investing knowledge, edge, or insight! The only requirement is that you start and let time work for you rather than against you.
记住,这些数据并不需要特殊的投资知识、优势或洞察力!唯一的要求是,你开始行动,让时间为你服务,而不是与你作对。
Albert Einstein famously referred to compound interest as “the eighth wonder of the world”: “He who understands it, earns it; he who doesn’t, pays it.” He was correct. By starting early and focusing on regular investments, you set your compounding machine in motion. Once it is in motion, take a page from the Warren Buffett playbook:
阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦曾将复利誉为“世界第八大奇迹”:“懂得复利的人,就能从中获利;不懂复利的人,就要为此付出代价。”他的话不无道理。尽早开始并专注于定期投资,就能启动你的复利机器。一旦机器运转起来,不妨借鉴一下沃伦·巴菲特的投资策略:
Get out of the way and let the magic of compounding work on your behalf.
别插手,让复利的魔力为你效力。
There are five clear and distinct levels to the Financial Wealth journey:
实现财务财富之旅分为五个清晰明确的阶段:
Level 1: Baseline needs are met, including food and shelter.
一级:基本需求得到满足,包括食物和住所。
Level 2: All baseline needs are exceeded, and modest pleasures become accessible. This includes meals at restaurants, simple vacations, and spending on education.
第二阶段:所有基本需求均得到满足,并可享受一些适度的乐趣。这包括在餐厅用餐、简单的度假以及教育支出。
Level 3: Baseline needs are no longer top of mind, and the focus is on saving, investing, and compounding wealth. More significant pleasures, such as multiple vacations, are readily available. More aggressive asset compounding generally begins at this level.
第三阶段:基本生活需求不再是首要考虑因素,重点转向储蓄、投资和财富复利增长。诸如多次度假等更美好的享受唾手可得。更积极的资产复利增长通常从这一阶段开始。
Level 4: Most reasonable pleasures are readily available. Asset accumulation accelerates, and assets begin to generate passive income to cover some lifestyle expenses. This is the level of moderate financial independence, as you can reduce your active income and continue to live the same lifestyle.
第四阶段:大多数合理的享乐唾手可得。资产积累加速,并开始产生被动收入,足以支付部分生活开支。这是中等程度的财务自由,您可以减少主动收入,同时维持现有的生活方式。
Level 5: All pleasures are available. Asset accumulation reaches escape velocity, and assets generate passive income in excess of all lifestyle expenses. This is the level of complete financial independence, as you can remove all active income and continue to live the same lifestyle.
第五阶段:尽享所有乐趣。资产积累达到惊人速度,产生的被动收入足以覆盖所有生活开支。这是完全财务自由的阶段,您可以停止所有主动收入,继续过着同样的生活。
Each person begins the journey at a different starting point, but any path upward through the levels requires a disciplined focus on the three pillars of income generation, expense management, and long-term investment. Every person who has reached Level 5 has, in some form or function, followed this simple model: increased income, managed expenses, and invested in long-term compounders. In some cases, the compounder of choice was a business that people invested their time, energy, and excess cash into, and the sale of that business generated the financial windfall that vaulted them into the upper tiers. In other cases, the compounder of choice was a simple low-cost market index fund that they invested their excess cash into on a regular basis, patiently compounding their wealth and methodically moving up the levels as the assets accumulated.
每个人的起点都不同,但任何向上攀升的路径都需要专注地关注收入创造、支出管理和长期投资这三大支柱。所有达到第五级的人,都以某种形式或方式遵循了这个简单的模式:增加收入、控制支出并投资于长期复利资产。在某些情况下,他们选择的复利资产是投入时间、精力和闲置资金的生意,出售这些生意带来的巨额财富使他们跃升至更高层级。而在另一些情况下,他们选择的复利资产是简单的低成本市场指数基金,他们定期将闲置资金投资其中,耐心积累财富,并随着资产的积累稳步提升层级。
Each level has its own stresses, problems, and headaches. While the traditional money problems you feel at the lower levels dissipate as you climb the ladder, new problems arise and replace them. Patrick Campbell, the founder of ProfitWell, a bootstrapped start-up that he sold for over $200 million, referred to this as a champagne-problem cycle. Campbell, who grew up in a working-class family and was new to a life of extreme wealth, noticed he’d gone from one set of problems that felt relatable to a new set of problems that might have sounded ridiculous to most people. The new problems aren’t about basic needs, like providing food and shelter for your family, but about your identity, who you are, who you want to be, and more. Money solves money problems, but it will not, in a vacuum, solve anything else.
每个阶段都有其自身的压力、问题和烦恼。虽然你在较低阶段感受到的传统金钱问题会随着你向上攀升而逐渐消散,但新的问题又会不断出现并取而代之。帕特里克·坎贝尔(Patrick Campbell)是ProfitWell的创始人,这家白手起家的初创公司最终以超过2亿美元的价格售出。他将这种现象称为“香槟-问题循环”。坎贝尔出身于工人阶级家庭,初尝巨额财富的滋味,他注意到自己从一系列似曾相识的问题,过渡到一系列在大多数人看来或许荒谬的新问题。这些新问题并非关乎基本需求,例如为家人提供食物和住所,而是关乎你的身份认同、你是谁、你想成为什么样的人等等。金钱可以解决金钱问题,但它本身并不能解决其他任何问题。
The point is this: Financial Wealth does not solve your problems; it simply changes the types of problems you face. The most important and fundamental questions about your life will remain, irrespective of the level you achieve. It is entirely up to you to determine how you can leverage the Financial Wealth you have built to create and increase other types of wealth—Time, Social, Mental, and Physical—as you seek to build a comprehensively wealthy life.
关键在于:财富本身并不能解决你的所有问题,它只是改变了你所面临的问题类型。无论你达到何种成就,人生中最重要、最根本的问题依然存在。如何利用你积累的财富去创造和增加其他类型的财富——时间、社交、精神和物质财富——从而构建一个全面富足的人生,完全取决于你自己。
Finally, it is important to note that the levels of Financial Wealth are entirely individual, because they are a by-product of your expectations —the needs, pleasures, and lifestyle that you want to lead. They are a by-product of your definition of enough. This means that the dollar figures necessary to achieve any given level are unique to you.
最后,需要指出的是,财务财富的水平完全因人而异,因为它取决于您的期望——您想要的需求、享受和生活方式。它取决于您对“足够”的定义。这意味着,达到特定财富水平所需的金额对您而言是独一无二的。
If you embrace the simple model—focusing on income generation, expense management, and long-term investment—while staying true to your personal definition of enough , you will be on a clear path to rise through the five levels of Financial Wealth. With an established understanding of the pillars and levels, we can move to the Financial Wealth Guide, which provides the specific tools and systems to build on these pillars and cultivate a life of Financial Wealth.
如果你接受这种简单的模式——专注于创收、控制支出和长期投资——同时坚守你对“足够”的个人定义,你就能清晰地走上通往财务财富五级阶梯的道路。在对这些支柱和阶梯有了深入的理解之后,我们就可以进入财务财富指南,其中提供了具体的工具和系统,帮助你在此基础上构建财务财富,并最终实现财务富足的人生。
The Financial Wealth Guide that follows provides specific, high-leverage systems to build each of the pillars of a life of Financial Wealth. This isn’t one-size-fits-all and you shouldn’t feel compelled to read every single one; browse through and select those that feel most relevant and useful to you.
接下来的《财务财富指南》提供了一些具体的、高效的系统,帮助你构建财务财富生活的各个支柱。这并非一成不变的模式,你也不必逐条阅读;浏览并选择那些对你来说最相关、最有用的部分即可。
As you consider and execute the systems for success provided in the Financial Wealth Guide, use your responses to each Financial Wealth statement from the Wealth Score quiz to narrow your focus to the areas where you need to make the most progress (those where you responded strongly disagree, disagree, or neutral ).
在您考虑并执行《财务财富指南》中提供的成功系统时,请使用您在“财富评分”测验中对每项财务财富陈述的回答,将您的注意力集中在您需要取得最大进步的领域(您回答“强烈不同意”、“不同意”或“中立”的领域)。
I have a clear definition of what it means to have enough financially.
我对经济上的富足有着清晰的定义。
I have income that is steadily growing alongside my skills and expertise.
我的收入随着我的技能和专业知识的提升而稳步增长。
I manage my monthly expenses so that they are reliably below my income.
我合理控制每月支出,确保支出始终低于收入。
I have a clear process for investing excess monthly income for long-term compounding.
我有一套清晰的流程,可以将每月多余的收入进行投资,以实现长期复利增长。
I use my financial wealth as a tool to build other types of wealth.
我利用我的金融财富作为工具来积累其他类型的财富。
A few common Financial Wealth anti-goals to avoid on your journey:
在追求财富的道路上,应避免以下几种常见的反向目标:
Focusing on my pursuit of financial goals at the expense of the other types of wealth
我一心追求财务目标,却忽视了其他类型的财富。
Allowing my definition of the Enough Life to subconsciously expand
允许我对“足够生活”的定义在潜意识中扩展。
Here are eight proven systems for building Financial Wealth.
以下是八种行之有效的积累财富的方法。
1. How to Define Your Enough Life: Finding Your Lagom
1. 如何定义你的“足够生活”:找到你的“恰到好处”(Lagom)。
2. Financial Wealth Hacks I Wish I Knew at Twenty-Two
2. 我希望22岁时就知道的理财秘诀
3. Seven Pieces of Career Advice | Income Generation
3. 七条职业建议 | 创收
4. Six Marketable Meta-Skills to Build for a High-Income Future | Income Generation
4. 六项助你打造高收入未来的实用技能 | 创收
5. The Seven Basic Principles of Expense Management | Expense Management
5. 费用管理的七项基本原则 | 费用管理
6. The Eight Best Investment Assets for Long-Term Wealth Creation | Long-Term Investment
6. 八大最适合长期财富积累的投资资产 | 长期投资
7. The Return-on-Hassle Spectrum | Long-Term Investment
7. 回报与麻烦程度的关系 | 长期投资
8. The Single Greatest Investment in the World | Long-Term Investment
8. 全球最伟大的单笔投资 | 长期投资
The life of lagom is the Enough Life—where you have just the right amount of Financial Wealth to live out your ideal days.
适度的生活方式就是拥有适量的财富,从而过上理想的生活。
Unfortunately, for most people, it tends to exist in the abstract, where it is prone to the subconscious inflation that is so damning to your fulfillment and happiness. A few years ago, to avoid falling victim to this, I clearly defined my Enough Life. I shifted it from a concept that existed in the abstract to a vivid image in the front of my mind.
不幸的是,对大多数人来说,它往往存在于抽象层面,很容易在潜意识里被无限膨胀,而这种膨胀恰恰会严重损害你的满足感和幸福感。几年前,为了避免落入这种陷阱,我清晰地定义了我的“足够生活”。我把它从一个抽象的概念转变为我脑海中一个鲜活的画面。
Here are the prompts I used to define my Enough Life:
以下是我用来定义“足够生活”的提示:
Where do you live? Are you living in a house, apartment, or something else? What specific characteristics do you love about the place where you live? Do you spend all your time in one place or live in different places?
你住在哪里?你住在房子里、公寓里,还是其他什么地方?你喜欢你居住的地方的哪些具体特点?你一直待在一个地方,还是经常在不同的地方居住?
Whom do you live with? Are you close to family or far away?
你和谁住在一起?你和家人关系亲近还是疏远?
What are you doing on an average Tuesday? What are you spending your time on? What are you working on? What are you thinking about?
你周二通常都在做什么?你把时间花在什么事情上?你在忙什么?你在想什么?
What material things do you have? What are the objects or possessions that truly bring joy to your life? What do you have the flexibility to spend money on freely?
你拥有哪些物质财富?哪些物品或拥有物真正能给你的生活带来快乐?你可以自由支配的消费范围有哪些?
What does your financial profile look like? What amount of money enables that life? How much cushion do you have in your finances? What are you earning, saving, and investing each month? How much of a safety net do you have?
你的财务状况如何?你靠多少钱才能维持现在的生活方式?你的财务状况还有多少缓冲空间?你每个月的收入、储蓄和投资分别是多少?你有多少安全保障?
Sit down and write out your responses to these questions. Remember that this is a personal exercise; your Enough Life is entirely individual and not subject to the judgment of others. One person’s Enough Life may involve several luxury homes to host family and friends, while another person’s may simply be the freedom to take two family vacations each year. Just as in the case of dharma, your Enough Life does not have to be grand or impressive—it simply must be yours.
请坐下来,写下你对这些问题的答案。记住,这是一项个人练习;你对“足够生活”的定义完全个人化,不应受他人评判。对某些人来说,“足够生活”可能意味着拥有几处豪宅来招待亲朋好友,而对另一些人来说,可能仅仅是每年有两次与家人度假的机会。正如佛法一样,你对“足够生活”的定义不必宏大或令人艳羡——它只需要属于你自己。
If you are married or have a life partner, you should conduct this exercise individually and then come together to compare your responses. My wife and I made a date out of it (which was quite fun!).
如果你已婚或有伴侣,你应该先单独完成这项练习,然后再一起比较答案。我和妻子就把这当成了一次约会(非常有趣!)。
Once you have a clear, vivid image of your Enough Life, you can use it as a tool for planning:
一旦你对理想的生活有了清晰生动的认识,就可以将其作为规划的工具:
What is the gap from your present reality to that future reality?
你现在的现实与你理想的未来现实之间存在怎样的差距?
What are the key steps and actions necessary to bridge that gap?
弥合这一差距需要哪些关键步骤和行动?
The Enough Life exercise is one that can be completed every few years. In all likelihood, your definition of enough will increase over time as your reality comes closer to your definition. That is to be expected. The goal is simply for it to be a conscious upward movement that can be measured and monitored, rather than a subconscious one that can accelerate out of control.
“足够生活”练习可以每隔几年进行一次。随着现实生活越来越接近你的定义,你对“足够”的定义很可能会随之提高。这是意料之中的。我们的目标是让它成为一个有意识的、可以衡量和监控的提升过程,而不是一个可能失控的、无意识的加速过程。
Your life of lagom is waiting—define it, imagine it, then start working to build it.
你理想的生活就在眼前——定义它,想象它,然后开始努力去创造它。
A collaboration with Ramit Sethi, author of the international bestselling books I Will Teach You to Be Rich and Money for Couples and host of the popular Netflix show How to Get Rich.
与国际畅销书《我会教你如何致富》和《夫妻理财》的作者、热门 Netflix 节目《如何致富》的主持人拉米特·塞蒂合作。
Frugality, quite simply, is about choosing the things you love enough to spend extravagantly on—and then cutting costs mercilessly on the things you don’t love.
节俭,简单来说,就是选择你足够热爱、愿意为之挥霍的东西,然后在你不热爱的东西上毫不留情地削减开支。
Ask $30,000 questions, not $3 questions. We’re obsessed with tiny financial decisions that make no real difference in our lives. They keep us busy and small. The amount you spend on coffee will not change your life, but focusing on $30,000 questions will. Focus on investment fees, asset allocation, negotiating salary, mortgage interest, and student loan interest. These $30,000 questions will make a difference in the long run.
要问价值三万美元的问题,而不是价值三美元的问题。我们常常执着于一些无关紧要的财务决策,这些决策对我们的生活并没有真正的影响。它们让我们忙碌而又目光短浅。你花在咖啡上的钱不会改变你的人生,但专注于价值三万美元的问题却可以。关注投资费用、资产配置、薪资谈判、房贷利息和学生贷款利息。从长远来看,这些价值三万美元的问题将会产生深远的影响。
Always have six to twelve months of emergency funds in cash. When times are good, work hard and fast to put away emergency funds. This one action alone will alleviate much of the angst you feel when thinking about money.
始终储备相当于六到十二个月应急资金的现金。经济状况好的时候,努力工作,尽快攒下应急资金。仅仅这一项就能大大减轻你对金钱的焦虑。
Make a rule to save a specific percentage and invest a specific percentage of your gross annual income. Establish an automatic deposit into accounts at these percentages so that you stick to it. My rule is to save 10 percent and invest 20 percent, but you can start at 5 percent and 10 percent (or whatever figure you see fit).
制定一条规则,将年收入的固定比例用于储蓄和投资。设置自动转账,将资金按这些比例存入相应的账户,这样就能确保你坚持下去。我的规则是储蓄10%,投资20%,但你可以从5%和10%开始(或者任何你认为合适的比例)。
Spend only what you have. Avoid accruing interest on credit card debt. Treat your credit card like a debit card—assume the money is leaving your bank account when you swipe it. Pay it off entirely every month.
只花你拥有的钱。避免信用卡债务产生利息。像对待借记卡一样对待你的信用卡——假设你刷卡时钱就从你的银行账户里扣除了。每个月全额还款。
Always plan ahead. Rich people always plan before they need to plan.
永远要提前计划。富人总是在需要计划之前就做好计划。
Buy the best and keep it as long as possible. Sometimes buying cheap ends up being expensive, and spending a little (or a lot) more for quality saves money in the end. For example, I enjoy buying high-end electronics because they last longer, high-end clothes because they don’t tear or rip as easily, and high-end cameras for their reliability. Some of these items can be passed on for generations.
买最好的,并且尽可能长时间地使用。有时候,贪便宜反而会花更多的钱,而多花一点(或者很多)钱买质量好的东西,最终反而更省钱。例如,我喜欢买高端电子产品,因为它们更耐用;高端服装,因为它们不容易破损;高端相机,因为它们更可靠。有些东西甚至可以代代相传。
Treat everything like a test. When I signed up for a new cellphone plan, I picked the most expensive one and set a calendar reminder to check in on it in three months. During that time, I tracked my usage and then downgraded accordingly. You should do this with everything: your cable, Netflix, gym memberships, magazine and online subscriptions. The best time to do it is the month before you have to renew. That way you have all the power. You’ll have plenty of time to review your options and decide whether to switch services or not. And, because the company will want to keep you as a customer (remember, their customer-acquisition cost is often in the hundreds of dollars), they’ll be more likely to give you what you ask for.
把所有事情都当成一次测试。我当初办新手机套餐的时候,特意选了最贵的,然后设置了日历提醒,三个月后再查看一下。在那段时间里,我记录了自己的使用情况,然后根据情况降级。你也应该对所有服务都这么做:有线电视、Netflix、健身房会员、杂志和各种在线订阅。最佳时机是在续费前一个月。这样你就掌握了主动权。你有充足的时间来评估各种选择,决定是否更换服务商。而且,因为公司肯定想留住你这个客户(别忘了,他们的获客成本通常高达数百美元),所以他们更有可能满足你的要求。
Be frugal with yourself and generous with others.
对自己节俭,对他人慷慨。
If an investment or financial opportunity seems too good to be true, assume that it is. Remember: There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
如果一项投资或金融机会看起来好得令人难以置信,那就假设它不是真的。记住:天下没有免费的午餐。
Okay, but index funds really are a free lunch. Lowest costs, better returns, lower taxes, no effort, less risk. I recommend making at least 90 percent of your portfolio through index funds.
好吧,但指数基金确实就像一顿免费的午餐。成本最低、收益更高、税收更低、无需投入精力、风险更小。我建议至少将90%的投资组合配置于指数基金。
If someone uses a bunch of fancy words and jargon to try to sell you an investment or financial opportunity, don’t buy it. Run in the other direction, fast.
如果有人用一堆花哨的词汇和术语来向你推销投资或金融机会,千万别上当。赶紧跑,离得越远越好。
Stay invested in the stock market. It’s very easy to panic and sell stocks whenever there’s a big drop in the market. However, selling your stocks at the slightest fall or when they are down could be the worst financial decision you can make. Stop timing the market. Create an automated direct deposit for a small amount of money into an investment account every month. Never look at the account. Don’t pay any attention to it. A $100 monthly investment into the S&P 500 for the past ten years would be worth about $20,000 today. Let it compound.
继续投资股市。每当股市大幅下跌时,人们很容易恐慌并抛售股票。然而,在股价稍有下跌或已经跌到谷底时就抛售股票,可能是你所能做出的最糟糕的财务决定。不要试图择时入市。设置每月自动转账,将少量资金存入投资账户。永远不要查看账户,也不要关注它。过去十年,每月投资100美元到标普500指数,如今价值约为2万美元。让复利增长吧。
Tip more around the holidays. Give a small holiday gift to any service-industry workers you regularly encounter (delivery drivers, trash pickup, cleaners, et cetera). It’s greatly appreciated by those on the receiving end of it, and it’s a simple way to spread some positive holiday vibes.
节日期间多给些小费。给经常遇到的服务行业从业人员(送货司机、垃圾清运工、清洁工等等)送上一份小小的节日礼物。收到礼物的人会非常感激,这也是传递节日美好氛围的一种简单方式。
Set money rules for yourself. We all work in different ways when it comes to money. There’s rarely any one-size-fits-all approach to spending, saving, and cutting expenses. If you know you have a certain bad money habit, set a rule for yourself to help you avoid it.
给自己制定理财规则。每个人的理财方式都不同,很少有适用于所有人的消费、储蓄和削减开支的万能方法。如果你知道自己有某种不良的理财习惯,那就给自己制定一条规则来帮助你避免它。
Negotiate your bills down. It’s a little-known fact that you can negotiate many of your bills with a onetime phone call. In fact, you can save hundreds a month on your car insurance, cellphone plan, gym membership (less likely but still possible), cable TV, credit cards. It’s simple too. There are only three things you need to do to negotiate with these companies on fees and rates: Call them; say, “I’m a great customer, and I’d hate to have to leave because of a simple money issue”; and ask, “What can you do for me to lower my rates?” It works.
协商降低账单费用。鲜为人知的是,您只需一个电话就能协商降低许多账单的费用。事实上,您每月可以节省数百美元,包括汽车保险、手机套餐、健身房会员费(可能性较小,但并非不可能)、有线电视费和信用卡费用。而且操作简单。您只需三步即可与这些公司协商费用和费率:致电他们;说:“我是贵公司的优质客户,我不想因为简单的费用问题而被迫离开”;然后询问:“贵公司能帮我降低费用吗?” 这招真的管用。
Follow the thirty-day rule to save money. Take thirty days to think about any nonessential purchases or impulse buys before you make them. Once the thirty days are up, if you still want to make the purchase, feel free to go for it!
遵循“三十天法则”省钱。在购买任何非必需品或冲动消费之前,给自己三十天的时间考虑。三十天后,如果你仍然想购买,那就买吧!
Be a conscious spender, not a cheap person. Cheap people care about the cost of something. Conscious spenders care about the value of something. Cheap people try to get the lowest price on everything. Conscious spenders try to get the lowest price on most things but are willing to spend extravagantly on items they really care about.
做个理性消费者,而不是个吝啬鬼。吝啬鬼只关心东西的价格,理性消费者则关心东西的价值。吝啬鬼总是想方设法买到最便宜的东西,而理性消费者虽然也尽量买到最便宜的,但对于自己真正珍视的物品,他们愿意慷慨解囊。
Fight for simplicity in your finances. The more successful you become with money, the more you have to fight for simplicity in your finances. When you keep things simple, you can take control of your money and become much more decisive.
力求理财简单。你越是成功理财,就越需要力求理财简单。保持理财简单,你就能更好地掌控自己的财务,也更能果断决策。
The way you feel about money is uncorrelated with the amount in your bank account. Many of us believe that if we just had $1,000 more, or $10,000 more, or even $100,000 more, we’d stop worrying about money and finally feel good about money. Bad news: No amount will change the way you feel about money. To feel good about money, you need to (a) know your numbers and (b) improve your money psychology by spending unapologetically on things you care about (and paying as little as possible for things you don’t).
你对金钱的感受与你的银行账户余额无关。我们很多人都认为,如果我们能多拥有1000美元、10000美元,甚至10000美元,我们就能不再为钱发愁,最终对金钱感到满意。然而,坏消息是:任何金额都无法改变你对金钱的感受。想要对金钱感到满意,你需要:(a) 了解你的财务状况;(b) 改善你的金钱观,毫不犹豫地在自己重视的事情上花钱(并在自己不重视的事情上尽可能少花钱)。
Career advice is a topic area that so often misses the mark. As Atlantic writer Derek Thompson once remarked, “With workers across thousands of occupations in hundreds of industries, saying anything that is of use to all of them is practically impossible. The most common counsel is almost always too personal to be broadly applicable.”
职业建议是一个经常不得要领的话题。正如《大西洋月刊》撰稿人德里克·汤普森曾经指出的那样:“从业人员遍布数百个行业、数千种职业,要说出对所有人都有用的建议几乎是不可能的。最常见的建议几乎总是过于个人化,难以广泛适用。”
Advice often suffers from a specificity trap. This specificity is the real problem: Your world looks very different from the advice giver’s world, so you can’t apply the same protocol or steps and achieve the same outcome.
建议常常会陷入“过于具体”的陷阱。这种具体性才是真正的问题所在:你的世界与提供建议者的世界截然不同,因此你不能照搬同样的流程或步骤就得到相同的结果。
The best advice, then, provides the general principles, ideas, and frameworks that you can take, mold, and leverage in your own way. Accordingly, I sat down and synthesized the advice I would have wanted to receive early in my career (or what I would tell my own son if he were just starting out).
因此,最好的建议是提供一些通用原则、理念和框架,你可以借鉴、调整并根据自身情况加以运用。为此,我坐下来,总结了我希望在职业生涯早期得到的建议(或者如果我的儿子刚入行,我会告诉他这些建议)。
All the items on the list are:
清单上的所有项目如下:
Applicable across domains and career paths
适用于各个领域和职业道路
Useful and relevant across all seasons and stages of your career
适用于您职业生涯的各个阶段和时期,且具有实用价值。
Here are the seven pieces of career advice I wish I knew when I was starting out….
以下是我希望当初入职场时就知道的七条职业建议……
Financial success is a by-product of the amount of value you create for those around you. The richest people in the world have billions of dollars, but they have each created tens or hundreds of billions of dollars of value and simply captured a small portion of that value they created. If you want to make a lot of money, stop focusing on your investments, stop focusing on your plan, stop focusing on your strategy, and start focusing on how you can create immense value for everyone around you. If you do that, the money will follow.
财务成功是你为周围的人创造价值的副产品。世界上最富有的人拥有数十亿美元的财富,但他们每个人都创造了数百亿甚至数千亿美元的价值,而他们最终获得的只是其中的一小部分。如果你想赚很多钱,就不要再关注你的投资、计划或策略,而是应该专注于如何为周围的人创造巨大的价值。如果你这样做,财富自然会随之而来。
If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.
—Mark Twain
如果你的工作是吃一只青蛙,最好一大早就吃。如果你的工作是吃两只青蛙,最好先吃掉最大的那只。——马克·吐温
For Mark Twain, the frog is the thing you don’t want to do. By eating it first thing in the morning, you build momentum from getting the toughest thing done. This wisdom provides one of the greatest hacks to get ahead early in your career: Swallow the frog for your boss. Observe your boss and figure out what she hates doing, learn to do it, take it off her plate (swallow her frog). This is a clear way to add value, put up a win, and build momentum.
对马克·吐温来说,“青蛙”指的是你最不想做的事情。清晨第一件事就是吃掉它,这样你就能从完成最棘手的任务中获得动力。这条智慧也为职业生涯早期脱颖而出提供了一条绝佳的秘诀:替你的老板“吃掉”那只青蛙。观察你的老板,找出她最讨厌做的事情,然后努力学习去做,帮她分担(替她“吃掉”那只青蛙)。这无疑是创造价值、取得成就并积累动力的有效途径。
In a world that has lost sight of the basics, there are simple things that still stand out. Some examples: Look people in the eye, do what you say you’ll do, be on time (or early!), practice good posture, have a confident handshake, hold the door, be kind (never gossip!). It may sound silly, but these things are all free, are entirely within your control, and will never go out of style.
在这个人们往往忽略基本原则的世界里,一些简单的小事却依然熠熠生辉。例如:与人目光交流,言出必行,准时(甚至提前!),保持良好的仪态,握手时充满自信,帮人开门,待人友善(切勿八卦!)。这些听起来或许有些傻气,但它们都是免费的,完全由你掌控,而且永远不会过时。
Over the past several years, it has become very trendy to say that hard work is overrated, that working smart is all that matters. Wrong. If you want to accomplish anything meaningful, you have to start by working hard. Build a reputation for hard work—take pride in it. Then you can start to build leverage to work smart. Leverage is earned, not found. When you’re starting out, you shouldn’t be focused on leverage. You should be focused on creating value anywhere and everywhere. Hard now, smart later. Earn your leverage.
过去几年,一种说法甚嚣尘上,认为努力工作被高估了,聪明工作才是最重要的。这是错误的。如果你想成就任何有意义的事情,就必须从努力工作开始。建立起努力工作的声誉——并为此感到自豪。然后你才能开始积累优势,从而更聪明地工作。优势是靠自己争取来的,而不是凭空得到的。在你创业初期,你不应该专注于积累优势。你应该专注于随时随地创造价值。现在努力,以后聪明。努力赢得你的优势。
An observation from having the privilege of spending time with some incredible leaders: World-changing CEOs aren’t the smartest people in their organizations. They are exceptional at aggregating data and communicating it simply and effectively. Data in, story out. If you can build that storytelling skill, you’ll always be valuable.
我有幸与一些杰出的领导者共事,观察到:那些改变世界的CEO并非公司里最聪明的人。他们真正擅长的是整合数据,并以简洁有效的方式传达信息。数据输入,故事输出。如果你能培养这种讲故事的能力,你将永远具有价值。
At every step of your career, you’ll be given a lot of tasks you have no idea how to complete. Impostor syndrome will inevitably set in—you’ll wonder how you can possibly do this thing that you’ve never done before (let alone do it well!). There’s nothing more valuable than someone who can just figure it out. Ask the key questions, do some work, get it done. If you do that, people will fight over you.
在你职业生涯的每个阶段,你都会遇到很多你完全不知道该如何完成的任务。冒名顶替综合症不可避免地会袭来——你会怀疑自己怎么可能完成这些从未做过的事情(更别提做好了!)。没有什么比能够迅速解决问题的人更有价值了。提出关键问题,投入精力,把事情做好。如果你能做到这一点,大家都会争相聘用你。
If someone cracks open a door that may present an opportunity, dive through it. It doesn’t matter if the opening is the exact opportunity you want. Become useful now, and the opportunities that excite you will appear later. Every great story starts with a tiny crack. Spot it. Dive through it.
如果有人打开了一扇可能蕴藏机遇的门,那就毫不犹豫地跳进去。即便这机会并非你梦寐以求的,也不要紧。现在就让自己变得有用,那些真正让你兴奋的机会自然会到来。每一个伟大的故事都始于一道细小的裂缝。发现它,然后纵身跃入。
In your career, there will always be a lot that feels uncomfortably out of your control. But as with all things in life, if you focus your attention and energy on what is within your control, you’ll always be better off. Wherever you are in your career journey, if you embrace these seven pieces of advice, you’re controlling the things that matter. Do that and I guarantee you’ll find a way to win.
在你的职业生涯中,总会有很多事情让你感到难以掌控。但就像生活中的其他事情一样,如果你把注意力和精力集中在你能控制的事情上,你总会做得更好。无论你处于职业生涯的哪个阶段,如果你能采纳这七条建议,你就能掌控那些真正重要的事情。这样做,我保证你一定能找到成功之道。
In the prior section, I presented the basic model to establish a robust income engine:
在前一节中,我介绍了建立稳健收入引擎的基本模型:
Build marketable skills
培养市场所需的技能
Leverage marketable skills to convert them into income
利用自身技能转化为收入
This model is broadly applicable: Whether you’re a recent graduate just starting out or a seasoned professional late in your career, to establish and build an income engine, follow this basic model.
该模式具有广泛的适用性:无论你是刚刚毕业的职场新人,还是职业生涯后期的资深专业人士,要建立和发展收入来源,请遵循这个基本模式。
Meta-skills are the foundational marketable skills upon which other skills can be developed. The most useful meta-skills are those that can be leveraged across the risk spectrum—from lower-risk, time-for-money primary employment to volatile, higher-risk self-employment—in a variety of potential income-generating endeavors.
元技能是其他技能发展的基础性、可交易的技能。最有用的元技能是那些能够跨越各种风险等级的技能——从风险较低、按时计酬的固定工作到波动性较大、风险较高的自雇职业——并应用于各种潜在的创收活动中。
Here are a few of the most valuable meta-skills to consider building:
以下是一些值得考虑培养的最有价值的元技能:
Sales: The ability to sell a product, service, vision, or oneself is a meta-skill for life. Selling is at the core of most success stories.
销售:推销产品、服务、理念或自身的能力是一项终身受用的元技能。销售是大多数成功故事的核心。
Storytelling: The ability to aggregate data and formulate a clear, concise narrative. This applies across functional areas and is essential to a variety of career tracks, including traditional, stable career paths like medicine, law, and finance.
故事讲述能力:能够整合数据并构建清晰简洁的叙述。这项能力适用于各个职能领域,对各种职业发展道路都至关重要,包括医学、法律和金融等传统、稳定的职业道路。
Design: In a world where artificial intelligence will direct much of the doing, design taste and preferences will rise in importance. The ability to direct AI (and humans) to produce a coherent, beautiful design vision will be essential across many industries.
设计:在人工智能主导诸多事务的世界里,设计品味和偏好将变得愈发重要。如何引导人工智能(以及人类)创造出连贯且美观的设计理念,对于许多行业而言都至关重要。
Writing: You cannot write clearly if you aren’t thinking clearly. Writing forces a clarity of thought that is useful across any major endeavor. The ability to convey ideas in simple, concise language is a meta-skill that will provide value in every arena.
写作:如果思维不清晰,就无法写出清晰的文章。写作能促使思维清晰,这对任何重大事业都至关重要。用简洁明了的语言表达思想的能力是一项元技能,在各个领域都能发挥价值。
Software engineering: Our world is increasingly governed by bits and bytes. Those who understand that world will be better positioned to thrive. The ability to leverage AI to accelerate efforts is a skill that all software engineers will need to develop.
软件工程:我们的世界日益被比特和字节所主导。了解这个世界的人将更有优势取得成功。利用人工智能加速开发进程的能力是所有软件工程师都必须掌握的技能。
Data science: Data is becoming modern gold, a currency like no other. The ability to analyze, tag, manipulate, and leverage data is going to be an increasingly valuable skill in an AI-driven world.
数据科学:数据正成为现代黄金,一种独一无二的货币。在人工智能驱动的世界中,分析、标记、处理和利用数据的能力将变得越来越重要。
This is not intended to be an exhaustive list, but each of these marketable skills is attractive in that it can be leveraged to create stable, growing primary-employment income and higher-upside secondary-income streams. There are other marketable skills, such as those around medicine, law, finance, and certain professional services, that have strong income potential but are generally confined to single, stable primary employment tracks, so they may be more limited in terms of long-term upside.
这并非一份详尽的清单,但这些技能之所以吸引人,是因为它们既能带来稳定增长的主要就业收入,又能带来更高潜力的次要收入来源。还有一些其他的技能,例如医疗、法律、金融和某些专业服务领域的技能,虽然收入潜力巨大,但通常仅限于单一、稳定的主要就业方向,因此其长期发展空间可能较为有限。
If you build a solid foundation of meta-skills, you will create the conditions for a high-income future.
如果你打下扎实的元技能基础,你就能为未来的高收入创造条件。
While you cannot save your way to financial freedom, a rising income alongside disciplined expense management will generate outsize outcomes in the long run. Effective expense management is essential to building financial freedom. Everyone’s situation will be different, but there are basic principles that apply universally.
虽然你无法仅靠储蓄实现财务自由,但收入的增长加上严格的支出管理,从长远来看将带来巨大的收益。有效的支出管理是实现财务自由的关键。每个人的情况都不尽相同,但有一些基本原则是普遍适用的。
The seven principles of effective expense management are as follows:
有效费用管理的七项原则如下:
Create a budget: Having a plan is the first and most important step in your journey to financial freedom. Creating and sticking to a monthly budget is a great starting place. Plan your monthly expenses and use an online tracker or tool (there are many free and premium options) to track your performance. Incorporate regular living expenses and experiences, and build a cushion for unexpected items. Gamify your expense management and try to land as close to your budget as possible.
制定预算:制定计划是迈向财务自由的第一步,也是最重要的一步。制定并坚持执行月度预算是一个很好的起点。规划好你的每月支出,并使用在线追踪工具(有很多免费和付费选项)来跟踪你的支出情况。将日常开支和体验活动纳入预算,并预留一些资金以应对意外支出。将支出管理变成一种游戏,并努力尽可能接近你的预算目标。
Automate savings: Always save before you spend. Automate your monthly savings by having a direct deposit go into a dedicated account.
自动储蓄:先储蓄后消费。设置每月自动存款,将款项存入专用账户。
Treat credit cards like cash: Never carry a balance on your credit cards. Pay them off in full at the end of each month. Treat all of your budgeting as though it is cash in, cash out.
像对待现金一样对待信用卡:永远不要在信用卡上留下欠款。每个月底全额还款。把你的所有预算都当作现金流入和流出来对待。
Create a rainy-day fund: Having a safety net of about six months of expenses in cash is a good rule of thumb to weather life’s inevitable storms. Prioritize creating and maintaining that fund. Do not touch it unless absolutely necessary.
建立应急基金:手头备有相当于六个月开支的现金作为安全网,是应对人生不可避免的风雨的好方法。务必优先建立并维护这笔基金。除非绝对必要,否则不要动用它。
Budget for experiences: In creating your monthly budget, be sure to factor in experiences and fun as a cushion. Dinners out, movies, travel, and so forth are all expenses that should be factored in as you contemplate the lifestyle you want to have.
为体验预留预算:在制定每月预算时,务必将体验和娱乐活动纳入预算,作为缓冲。外出就餐、看电影、旅行等等,这些都是你在规划理想生活方式时应该考虑的开支。
Plan ahead: Large purchases or expenditures should never surprise you. Plan ahead for weddings, vacations, cars, debt repayment, et cetera. If you plan, you can avoid incurring significant new debt (credit card or otherwise) when large expenses hit.
提前做好计划:大额消费或支出不应该让你措手不及。婚礼、度假、购车、还债等等,都要提前做好计划。如果计划得当,就能避免在遇到大额支出时背负巨额新债(信用卡或其他债务)。
Manage expectations as a liability: Expectations that grow faster than assets are the most common cause of financial misery. Track your lifestyle expectations and ensure that you are not allowing those expectations to inflate materially as your income grows. Avoid the perils of lifestyle creep, particularly in the early years of your journey to financial freedom, as incremental dollars invested early are worth more later.
管理好你的预期:预期增长速度超过资产增长速度是造成财务困境的最常见原因。密切关注你的生活方式预期,确保随着收入的增长,这些预期不会大幅膨胀。避免生活方式膨胀的风险,尤其是在你迈向财务自由的初期,因为早期投入的每一分钱,日后都会更有价值。
Your expenses will change throughout your life. As you accumulate responsibilities (including partners and children), your expenses will naturally grow. It’s perfectly reasonable to assume that your expenses will grow over time (particularly given economic inflation).
你的开支会随着人生阶段的变化而变化。随着你承担的责任(包括伴侣和子女)增加,你的开支自然也会增长。考虑到经济通胀,你的开支会随着时间推移而增长,这是完全合理的。
As a rule of thumb, you want to ensure that your income is growing at a higher rate than your expenses. This will create a larger investable gap over time and lead to strong financial compounding and an accelerated path to financial independence.
一般来说,你应该确保收入增长速度高于支出增长速度。随着时间的推移,这将创造更大的投资空间,带来强劲的复利效应,并加速实现财务自由。
If you follow these seven principles and pair them with steadily rising income and a basic, thoughtful long-term investment strategy, you will be on the path to financial freedom.
如果你遵循这七项原则,并结合稳步增长的收入和基本的、深思熟虑的长期投资策略,你就能走上财务自由之路。
In the modern financial world, investment opportunities are effectively endless. You are constantly pitched the latest and greatest financial gizmo that promises outsize returns and no appreciable increase in risk. Beware of these claims—as the saying goes, there’s no such thing as a free lunch!
在当今金融世界,投资机会几乎无穷无尽。你不断会接触到各种最新、最热门的金融产品,它们承诺带来超额收益,而且风险几乎可以忽略不计。务必警惕这些说法——正如俗话所说,天下没有免费的午餐!
In an effort to provide a balanced perspective on your most attractive investment opportunities, I have collaborated on this simple guide with Nick Maggiulli, an author and financial writer whose bestselling book Just Keep Buying breaks down and explains how to save money and invest.
为了向您提供关于最具吸引力的投资机会的平衡视角,我与作家兼金融撰稿人尼克·马吉乌利合作编写了这本简单的指南。尼克·马吉乌利的畅销书《不断购买》详细讲解了如何省钱和投资。
The eight asset classes covered are chosen for their income-producing and wealth-creating properties. Each of the asset classes provides income and long-term compounding. Asset classes such as cryptocurrency, art, and precious metals are not included, as they do not provide income potential to the investor. The list is not intended to be a recommendation but a starting point for further research. Always conduct your own research prior to making investments.
这份清单涵盖了八大资产类别,均因其创收和增值特性而入选。每类资产都能带来收益和长期复利增长。加密货币、艺术品和贵金属等资产类别未被列入,因为它们无法为投资者提供收益。这份清单并非投资建议,而是进一步研究的起点。投资前务必进行您自己的研究。
Stocks are an easily accessible asset class that represents ownership in underlying businesses. Historically, they have high average compounded rates of return (8 to 10 percent), they are easy to trade, and they require little to no maintenance. They also have significant volatility and may experience material valuation swings that are dislocated from fundamental business changes.
股票是一种易于交易的资产类别,代表着对相关企业的所有权。从历史数据来看,股票的平均复合收益率较高(8%至10%),交易便捷,且几乎无需维护。但股票也具有显著的波动性,其估值可能出现大幅波动,而这种波动往往与企业基本面的变化脱节。
High historical average rates of return
历史平均收益率较高
Easy to trade
易于交易
Very little maintenance
维护成本极低
High volatility
高波动性
Significant valuation swings that may be dislocated from business fundamentals
估值出现大幅波动,可能与企业基本面脱节
Bonds are loans from investors to borrowers with payments that are to be made over specific periods. Bonds vary greatly in their risk profile, depending on the underlying borrower; U.S. Treasury bonds are considered extremely low risk due to the government’s ability to print money. They have a lower historical average compounded rate of return (2 to 4 percent), but typically offer a consistent income stream (from payments by the borrower) and tend to rise when stocks fall.
债券是投资者向借款人提供的贷款,借款人需在特定期限内偿还本金。债券的风险状况差异很大,具体取决于借款人;由于美国政府拥有印钞能力,美国国债被认为风险极低。它们的历史平均复合收益率较低(2%至4%),但通常能提供稳定的收入流(来自借款人的还款),并且往往在股票下跌时上涨。
Low overall volatility
整体波动性较低
Strong principal safety (in higher-quality government-backed bonds)
本金安全系数高(在高质量政府担保债券中)
Lower overall returns, particularly after accounting for inflation
整体回报率下降,尤其是在考虑通货膨胀因素后。
Investment properties are owned residences purchased with the intention of generating income through rent and wealth through the future value appreciation of the property. The ability to secure leverage for the purchase (via a mortgage) amplifies the return profile, meaning the average compounded annual return can be around 12 to 15 percent, depending on the location and market conditions. These higher average annual returns are offset by the operational challenges of managing a property and tenants and low liquidity in the underlying asset in the event of a market disruption.
投资性房产是指购买自有住宅,旨在通过租金收入和房产未来升值积累财富。通过抵押贷款等杠杆方式购房可以提高收益,平均年复合回报率可达12%至15%左右,具体数值取决于房产所在地和市场状况。然而,较高的平均年回报率会被房产及租户管理方面的运营挑战以及市场动荡时资产流动性不足等问题所抵消。
Potential for high average returns given leverage profile
鉴于杠杆水平,潜在平均回报较高
Experience value if properties are used when not being rented out
如果房产在不出租时自用,则可获得经验价值
High potential for headaches from property and tenant management
物业和租户管理方面存在很大的潜在问题。
Low liquidity in the event of a market crash
市场崩盘时流动性不足
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs for short) are businesses that own and manage real estate properties and distribute the income from the properties to their shareholders on a consistent basis. Investing in REITs is considered a tax-efficient, low-headache way to invest in real estate, as the REITs are required to pay out a minimum of 90 percent of their taxable income as dividends. They historically provide high average compounded annual returns of around 10 to 12 percent and lower correlation to stocks during bull markets. They also historically exhibit equal or greater volatility than stocks, with significant drawdowns during market crashes.
房地产投资信托基金(简称REITs)是拥有并管理房地产,并定期向股东分配收益的企业。投资REITs被认为是一种节税且省心的房地产投资方式,因为REITs必须将至少90%的应税收入以股息的形式支付给股东。历史上,REITs的平均年复合收益率高达10%至12%,并且在牛市期间与股票的相关性较低。然而,REITs的波动性通常与股票相当甚至更高,在市场崩盘期间会出现大幅下跌。
High historical average compounded annual returns
历史平均复合年收益率较高
Provide tax-efficient real estate exposure without management headaches
提供节税的房地产投资机会,无需管理烦恼
High volatility, comparable to or greater than stocks
高波动性,与股票相当或更高
Significant drawdowns during market crashes
市场崩盘期间的大幅下跌
Farmland has historically been a significant source of wealth creation and an attractive, income-producing asset. Given this profile, today there are platforms that provide opportunities for accredited investors to own partial stakes in farmland operations. Farmland has low correlation to stock and bond returns and low overall volatility due to the stability of the land value, and it provides inflation protection, as it tends to rise in value in connection to broader market price trends. Investments in farmland tend to be highly illiquid and generally require higher fees and accreditation status.
农田历来是财富创造的重要来源,也是一种极具吸引力的收益型资产。鉴于此,如今已有平台为合格投资者提供持有农田部分股权的机会。由于土地价值稳定,农田与股票和债券收益的相关性较低,整体波动性也较低,并且由于其价值往往与整体市场价格走势相关,因此具有一定的抗通胀能力。然而,农田投资的流动性通常较差,且一般需要较高的费用和投资者资质认证。
Low correlation with traditional assets, low overall principal risk
与传统资产相关性低,总体本金风险低
Strong hedge against inflation
有效抵御通胀
Low liquidity
流动性低
Higher fees and accreditation requirements
更高的费用和认证要求
Small business and start-up acquisitions and investments have become very popular in recent years. They offer the potential for outsize returns (potentially 20 to 25 percent) and an environment where historical success may increase the odds of future success, as you become more likely to be brought attractive opportunities. They also carry a significant time commitment, particularly in the case of active involvement in small business operations, as well as a high likelihood of principal loss.
近年来,收购和投资小型企业及初创企业变得非常流行。这类投资可能带来超额回报(高达20%至25%),而且过往的成功经验有助于提高未来成功的概率,因为投资者更有可能获得有吸引力的投资机会。然而,这类投资也需要投入大量时间,尤其是在积极参与小型企业运营的情况下,同时还存在本金损失的风险。
Outsize returns potential
超额回报潜力
Success begets success
成功带来更多成功
High time commitment
高度投入时间
Significant potential for failure and principal loss
存在重大违约和本金损失风险。
Royalties are the payments made for the continued use of copyrighted or owned works. Today, there are platforms that match buyers and sellers of royalty streams, providing new investors with access to the market. Depending on the risk profile, royalties may provide average compounded annual returns of from 5 to 20 percent, with low or no correlation to traditional financial assets and a steady income stream. The platforms tend to charge higher fees and many require accreditation status to invest.
版税是指因持续使用受版权保护或拥有版权的作品而支付的费用。如今,一些平台能够撮合版税交易的买卖双方,为新投资者提供进入市场的渠道。根据风险承受能力的不同,版税的平均年复合收益率可达 5% 至 20%,与传统金融资产的相关性较低或无相关性,并能提供稳定的收入来源。不过,这些平台通常收取较高的费用,而且许多平台要求投资者具备一定的资质才能进行投资。
Potential for steady income and attractive average returns
具有稳定收入和可观平均回报的潜力
Low correlation to other financial assets
与其他金融资产相关性低
High fees and accreditation requirements
高昂的学费和认证要求
Potential for sudden shifts in income due to taste preferences
口味偏好可能导致收入突然变化
Investments in your own income-producing products—physical products, digital products, services, and the like—offer the potential for a high degree of control and personal fulfillment. These investments are time-intensive, particularly at the outset, and do not offer any guarantee of future returns, and the majority are likely to fail. When well built with the potential to scale without significant additional time requirements, they offer outsize potential for returns.
投资于能够产生收入的自有产品——包括实体产品、数字产品、服务等等——能够带来高度的掌控感和个人成就感。这类投资耗时较长,尤其是在初期阶段,而且无法保证未来的收益,大多数投资最终都可能失败。然而,如果产品设计精良,具备无需投入大量额外时间即可扩展的潜力,那么它们就蕴藏着巨大的回报潜力。
Full control and ownership of outcomes
对结果拥有完全的控制权和所有权
High degree of personal fulfillment
高度的个人满足感
Potential for outsize returns if successful
如果成功,可能会获得超额回报。
Significant time commitment
需要投入大量时间。
High likelihood of failure
极有可能失败
Developing an awareness and understanding of these eight asset classes will provide any investor with a strong overall foundation of knowledge. You do not need to invest in all eight (I invest in only four of the eight!), but the knowledge will leave you well prepared to act on a variety of investment strategies in the future.
了解并掌握这八大类资产的知识,将为任何投资者奠定坚实的整体知识基础。您无需投资所有八大类资产(我个人只投资其中四类!),但这些知识将使您在未来能够运用各种投资策略时游刃有余。
Investment advisers focus on the risk-adjusted return profile of an investment, meaning the average expected returns given the risk profile of the investment. For example, start-up investing may offer opportunities for ten times or even a hundred times investment appreciation, but it is also incredibly risky; the vast majority of start-ups go bust and lose all of the invested capital, so the risk-adjusted return profile of the asset class is more in line with market index investments.
投资顾问关注的是投资的风险调整后收益,也就是在给定风险水平下的平均预期收益。例如,初创企业投资可能带来十倍甚至百倍的投资回报,但同时也伴随着极高的风险;绝大多数初创企业最终都会破产,损失全部投资本金,因此这类资产的风险调整后收益更接近于市场指数投资。
The concept of risk adjustment is part of the calculation that you should be thinking about when you look at long-term investments in the asset classes from the prior section, but it misses one key component:
风险调整的概念是你在考虑上一节所述资产类别的长期投资时应该考虑的计算的一部分,但它忽略了一个关键组成部分:
Choosing the right asset classes for your portfolio means selecting those that provide access to attractive average returns on a risk-adjusted basis, but also on a hassle-adjusted basis.
为您的投资组合选择合适的资产类别,意味着选择那些在风险调整后能够提供有吸引力的平均收益,以及在麻烦调整后能够提供有吸引力的平均收益的资产类别。
Mitchell Baldridge, a well-known certified public accountant and writer, refers to a concept he calls “return on hassle”—the idea that the time and energy associated with an investment need to be considered as part of the return equation. For example, a multifamily real estate investment that generates a 10 percent average annual return may sound like a screaming deal, but if it requires you to spend ten hours away from your family each weekend driving to the location, fixing maintenance issues, and dealing with tenant headaches, that 10 percent annual return may not look so attractive. If you can generate a 7 percent average annual return with zero time and energy outlay by auto-buying and holding market index funds, other potential long-term investments must be weighed against that. If the incremental likely return profile exceeds the value of the incremental time and energy requirements, it is worth considering, but if not, it should be rejected.
知名注册会计师兼作家米切尔·鲍德里奇(Mitchell Baldridge)提出了一个他称之为“精力回报”的概念——即投资所耗费的时间和精力必须纳入回报考量。例如,一项多户住宅投资如果能带来10%的年均回报率,听起来似乎非常诱人,但如果这意味着你每个周末都要花十个小时离开家人,开车去现场处理维护问题、应对租户的各种麻烦,那么这10%的年回报率就显得不那么吸引人了。如果你可以通过自动购买并持有市场指数基金,在无需投入任何时间和精力的情况下获得7%的年均回报率,那么其他潜在的长期投资就必须与之进行权衡。如果新增的潜在回报超过了新增的时间和精力投入,那么这项投资就值得考虑;否则,就应该放弃。
To illustrate the point, we can reference a chart of data gathered by Nick Maggiulli that maps a variety of potential long-term investment assets from the prior section based on their risk difficulty/hassle and expected annualized returns. [11]
为了说明这一点,我们可以参考 Nick Maggiulli 收集的数据图表,该图表根据风险难度/麻烦程度和预期年化收益,绘制了上一节中各种潜在的长期投资资产。[11]
Source: American Time Use Survey, Our World in Data
数据来源:美国时间利用调查,《数据世界》
Starting your own business, which occupies the upper right corner of this chart, offers the tantalizing high-risk, high-hassle, high-reward trifecta. The allure of control—the “bet on yourself”—is compelling, but it should not be taken on lightly, as most businesses will fail within their first decade. That said, the alternative, de-risked pathways to entrepreneurship may offer a more manageable risk-reward trade-off for those seeking an accelerated timeline to financial independence.
创业(位于图表右上角)提供了诱人的高风险、高难度、高回报的三重优势。掌控一切的诱惑——“相信自己”——固然令人难以抗拒,但切不可掉以轻心,因为大多数企业都会在十年内倒闭。话虽如此,对于那些寻求更快实现财务自由的人来说,其他风险较低的创业途径或许能提供更易于掌控的风险回报平衡。
For most people, the lower middle of this difficulty/hassle spectrum will be the sweet spot. Buying and holding a well-diversified, low-cost market index fund will provide the most attractive balance of returns and energy requirement. Investments in higher-hassle long-term investments like individual stocks and real estate properties should not be considered without a clear understanding of the associated time and capital risks as well as a rational perspective on the “edge” that one has relative to the market in that specific asset arena.
对大多数人来说,难度/麻烦程度介于两者之间的投资方式最为理想。买入并长期持有多元化程度高、成本低的市场指数基金,能够最大程度地平衡收益和精力投入。而对于股票和房地产等需要投入更多精力的长期投资,则应在充分了解相关的时间和资本风险,以及理性评估自身在该特定资产领域相对于市场的优势之后,再做考虑。
When I was in college, my father shared an insight that I consider to be the single greatest investment advice I have ever received.
我在大学时,父亲曾给我提出过一个见解,我认为这是我所收到的最棒的投资建议。
He told me to make it a rule to never think twice about investments in yourself:
他告诉我,一定要养成习惯,投资自己永远不要犹豫:
Books, courses, and education
书籍、课程和教育
Fitness
健康
Networking events
社交活动
Quality food
优质食品
Mental health
心理健康
Personal development
个人发展
Sleep
睡觉
These may look like expenses, but they can all be considered investments that pay dividends in your life for a long time.
这些看似是开支,但实际上都可以看作是投资,它们会在很长一段时间内为你的生活带来回报。
As an example, when I started my first job, I chose to live by myself rather than with three roommates. On the surface, it seemed like a silly financial decision—about twice the monthly cost—but it gave me space for deep focus and deep relaxation. I think the investment paid for itself in accelerated career growth within a year.
举个例子,我刚开始第一份工作时,选择独居而不是和三个室友合租。表面上看,这似乎是个不明智的经济决定——每月开销大约是合租的两倍——但它给了我充分的专注力和深度放松的空间。我认为这项投资在一年内就通过我职业发展的加速而得到了回报。
The bias is to underestimate the value that these investments have. The financial cost is easily quantifiable, so we focus on it and ignore the benefits in other areas of our lives. But if you evaluate the benefits through the lens of the other types of wealth—Time, Social, Mental, and Physical—you will more appropriately account for them and make a better long-term decision.
人们往往会低估这些投资的价值。由于财务成本易于量化,我们往往只关注这一点,而忽略了它们在生活其他方面带来的益处。但如果你从时间、社交、精神和身体等其他财富的角度来评估这些益处,就能更恰当地考虑它们,从而做出更明智的长期决策。
As a rule of thumb: Never think twice about making investments in yourself.
一般来说:永远不要犹豫要不要投资自己。
Think twice about material purchases instead. Try the thirty-day rule: Wait thirty days to complete the order. If you still want it, order it. If not, skip it. This has saved a lot of money on stupid impulse purchases that would have gathered dust. Redeploy the savings into investments in yourself and double the benefit.
购物前请三思。试试“三十天法则”:等待三十天再下单。如果三十天后你仍然想要,那就下单;如果不再想要,就放弃。这能帮你省下不少冲动消费的钱,避免它们积灰。把省下来的钱投资到自己身上,收益翻倍。
Life hack: Always invest in yourself—you’ll never regret it.
生活小窍门:永远投资自己——你永远不会后悔。
The Big Question: What is your definition of enough ?
核心问题:你对“足够”的定义是什么?
Income generation: Create stable, growing income through primary employment, secondary employment, or passive streams
创收:通过主要就业、次要就业或被动收入来源创造稳定增长的收入。
Expense management: Manage expenses so that they are reliably below your income level and grow at a slower rate
支出管理:合理控制支出,使其始终低于收入水平,并保持较低的增长速度。
Long-term investment: Invest the difference between your income and expenses in long-term, efficient, low-cost assets that compound effectively
长期投资:将收入与支出之间的差额投资于长期、高效、低成本且能有效复利增长的资产。
The Financial Wealth Score: For each statement below, respond with 0 (strongly disagree), 1 (disagree), 2 (neutral), 3 (agree), or 4 (strongly agree).
财务财富评分:对于以下每一项陈述,请回答 0(非常不同意)、1(不同意)、2(中立)、3(同意)或 4(非常同意)。
I have a clear definition of what it means to have enough financially.
我对经济上的富足有着清晰的定义。
I have income that is steadily growing alongside my skills and expertise.
我的收入随着我的技能和专业知识的提升而稳步增长。
I manage my monthly expenses so that they are reliably below my income.
我合理控制每月支出,确保支出始终低于收入。
I have a clear process for investing excess monthly income for long-term compounding.
我有一套清晰的流程,可以将每月多余的收入进行投资,以实现长期复利增长。
I use my financial wealth as a tool to build other types of wealth.
我利用我的金融财富作为工具来积累其他类型的财富。
Your baseline score (0 to 20):
您的基线分数(0 至 20 分):
Use the goal-setting framework to calibrate your Financial Wealth compass:
运用目标设定框架来校准你的财务财富指南针:
Goals: What Financial Wealth Score do you want to achieve within one year? What are the two to three checkpoints that you will need to hit on your path to achieve this score?
目标:您希望在一年内达到怎样的财务财富评分?为了达到这个评分,您需要达成哪两到三个关键节点?
Anti-goals: What are the two to three outcomes that you want to avoid on your journey?
反目标:在你的旅程中,你希望避免哪两到三种结果?
High-leverage systems: What are the two to three systems from the Financial Wealth Guide that you will implement to make tangible, compounding progress toward your goal score?
高杠杆系统:您将实施《财务财富指南》中的哪两到三个系统,以在实现目标分数方面取得切实、持续的进步?
Use the principles from this section to conduct a simple audit of your current ecosystem:
运用本节中的原则,对您当前的生态系统进行一次简单的审核:
Income: What are your current sources of cash inflows? How stable are these sources? Are they growing predictably? Can you increase your cash inflows through building new skills or more effectively leveraging existing skills?
收入:您目前的现金流入来源有哪些?这些来源稳定吗?它们是否呈可预测的增长?您能否通过培养新技能或更有效地利用现有技能来增加现金流入?
Expenses: How consistent are your current cash outflows? Are outflows reliably below inflows? Are your expenses growing faster than your income? Do you have a clear budget and plan? If not, create one and track your progress against it.
支出:您目前的现金支出是否稳定?支出是否始终低于收入?您的支出增长速度是否超过收入增长速度?您是否有清晰的预算和计划?如果没有,请制定一个并跟踪您的执行进度。
Long-term investments: Do you have a clear strategy for investing the gap between inflows and outflows in long-term compounding vehicles? If not, create an investment account with a low-cost brokerage and consider establishing an automatic deposit.
长期投资:您是否有明确的策略,将资金流入和流出之间的差额投资于长期复利工具?如果没有,请在低成本的券商处开设投资账户,并考虑设置自动存款。
This audit will provide a strong starting baseline to build Financial Wealth.
本次审计将为积累财务财富提供一个坚实的起点。
In Christopher Nolan’s 2010 science-fiction thriller Inception, there is a scene in which the protagonist, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is faced with the life-and-death decision of whether to trust a new potential benefactor and seize the challenge presented to him. It is a challenge with the highest possible stakes: the opportunity to return home to his children, whom he hasn’t seen in years.
在克里斯托弗·诺兰2010年的科幻惊悚片《盗梦空间》中,有一个场景是莱昂纳多·迪卡普里奥饰演的主角面临着一个生死攸关的抉择:是否信任一位新的潜在资助人,并接受他提出的挑战。这是一个至关重要的挑战:他有机会回到多年未见的孩子们身边。
The benefactor, played by Ken Watanabe, seems to sense his counterpart’s call to adventure and poses a single, powerful question:
由渡边谦饰演的恩人似乎察觉到了对方内心深处的冒险召唤,并提出了一个意味深长的问题:
“Do you want to take a leap of faith? Or become an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone?”
“你是想放手一搏,还是想成为一个充满悔恨、孤独终老的老头?”
My life—my entire story—is the result of a leap of faith.
我的人生——我的整个故事——都是一次信仰飞跃的结果。
As I sit here writing the final pages of this book, years after the concept first took hold in my mind, I’m struck by just how much its ideas have changed my life and world:
当我坐在这里写这本书的最后几页时,距离这个概念最初在我脑海中形成已经过去了数年,我仍然感到震惊,它的理念对我的生活和世界产生了多么大的影响:
I’ve built a thriving business ecosystem with a group of wonderful leaders and operators. I create content that positively influences millions of subscribers and followers around the world every single week. I designed a robust health and wellness routine that has allowed me to look and perform better than ever. I have the flexibility and control over my time to pursue energy-creating opportunities. I feel a deep sense of purpose and growth in my day-to-day life.
我与一群优秀的领导者和运营者共同打造了一个蓬勃发展的商业生态系统。我每周创作的内容都能对全球数百万订阅者和粉丝产生积极影响。我设计了一套完善的健康养生方案,让我拥有了前所未有的最佳状态。我能够灵活掌控自己的时间,去追求那些能激发我活力的机会。在日常生活中,我感受到强烈的使命感和成长感。
But above all else, I have my people.
但最重要的是,我还有我的家人。
It’s 6:30 in the morning right now. I can hear my two-year-old son giggling outside my office doors, my wife no doubt egging him on. When I walk out, he’ll run over and pull us into one of his favorite family hugs. This morning, we’re packing our bags to make the short drive to Boston, where we’ll spend a few days with our parents and siblings. These visits, which were previously annual, are now a frequent occurrence; our decision to leave our stable life in California and move across the country created these ripples of laughter, love, and memories. Since that move, our family has faced unpredictable challenges, health concerns, and sadness, but the important point is that we’ve faced them all together.
现在是早上六点半。我能听到两岁的儿子在办公室门外咯咯地笑,想必是妻子在怂恿他。我一走出去,他就会跑过来,给我们一个他最喜欢的家庭拥抱。今天早上,我们正在收拾行李,准备开车去波士顿,在那里和父母兄弟姐妹待几天。以前每年一次的探望,现在变成了频繁的例行公事;我们当初决定离开加州稳定的生活,搬到美国东海岸,这个决定就像涟漪一样,带来了无数的欢笑、爱和回忆。自从搬家以来,我们家也经历了一些意想不到的挑战、健康问题和悲伤,但重要的是,我们一直携手面对这一切。
I found my people—and I intend to cherish them until my last breath.
我找到了我的同类——我打算珍惜他们直到生命的最后一刻。
So, as I wrap up this writing, I feel an immense gratitude. I am living my dream life because I embraced a better way—I measured the right things, I took the right actions, and I created the right outcomes. I embraced the concepts in The 5 Types of Wealth. I’m sure I gave up money by leaving the track I was on, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m the wealthiest man on the face of the earth.
所以,在结束这篇文章之际,我心中充满感激。我过上了梦想中的生活,因为我选择了更好的道路——我衡量了正确的事物,采取了正确的行动,并创造了理想的结果。我践行了《五种财富》一书中的理念。我确信,离开原先的道路意味着我放弃了一些金钱,但就我而言,我就是世界上最富有的人。
Now it’s time for you to do the same.
现在轮到你这样做了。
Measure, make decisions, and design your new life around these five types of wealth:
围绕这五种财富类型来衡量、决策和设计你的新生活:
Time Wealth
时间财富
Social Wealth
社会财富
Mental Wealth
精神财富
Physical Wealth
实物财富
Financial Wealth
金融财富
Measure your life across all the pillars of a happy, fulfilling existence. Establish your baseline Wealth Score, then come back to it each year to assess your progress and areas of opportunity. Measure for the war and you’ll never lose sight of it amid the chaos of the battles.
用幸福充实人生的各个支柱来衡量你的生活。建立你的财富基准评分,然后每年回顾一次,评估你的进步和潜在机遇。为人生这场战役做好准备,你才能在纷乱的战局中始终保持清醒的头脑。
Make decisions that consider all five types of wealth. Rather than narrowly focusing on Financial Wealth, evaluate a decision based on its impact on all five types of wealth. When you’re considering a career change, weigh the impact of the decision on your time, your relationships, and your purpose and growth. When you’re thinking about a move, consider the effects on your loved ones and your health. When you’re evaluating a big investment or purchase, reflect on the impact it may have on your freedom and mental state. The most important decisions are best made with the full spectrum of your life in mind.
做决定时要考虑所有五种类型的财富。与其仅仅关注财务财富,不如从五种类型财富的整体影响来评估一项决定。例如,考虑职业转型时,要权衡这项决定对你的时间、人际关系以及人生目标和个人成长的影响。考虑搬家时,要考虑对家人和健康的影响。评估一项大额投资或消费时,要思考它可能对你的自由和精神状态产生的影响。最重要的决定最好是全面考虑你生活的方方面面后再做决定。
Design your dream life within and across the seasons to come. Use this new model for proactive life design that considers your changing priorities and enables you to focus on specific individual battles without sacrificing your victory in the longer-term war. Navigate life’s uncertainty with clarity as you evaluate the trade-offs you are willing and unwilling to make to build the life you want.
在未来的四季更迭中,精心规划你的梦想人生。运用这种全新的积极人生规划模式,充分考虑你不断变化的优先事项,让你能够专注于眼前的挑战,同时又不影响长远目标的最终胜利。在权衡取舍的过程中,清晰地应对人生中的种种不确定性,打造你理想中的生活。
You have the tools. You have the information. Only one thing remains….
你已经拥有了工具,也掌握了信息。只剩下最后一件事……
Do you want to take a leap of faith?
你愿意冒险一试吗?
Sir Isaac Newton famously wrote, “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I echo this sentiment: This book was only made possible through the gracious understanding and support of a long list of incredible giants who gifted me their shoulders. I would like to take a moment to recognize them here, though words will never do my gratitude sufficient justice.
艾萨克·牛顿爵士曾写道:“如果我看得更远,那是因为我站在巨人的肩膀上。” 我对此深表赞同:本书的出版离不开众多杰出人士的理解和支持,他们慷慨地将肩膀借给了我。在此,我谨向他们致以崇高的敬意,但千言万语也无法充分表达我的感激之情。
First and foremost, my wife, Elizabeth, who is without a doubt the most incredible person I’ve had the pleasure to know. Throughout this process, she was a sounding board, intellectual sparring partner, truth teller, and creative director (her design skills even contributed to the beautiful cover, which I am thrilled with!). Even more impressively, she did it all while being a present, loving mother to our son, Roman. I am a firm believer that who you choose to partner with in life is the most important choice you will ever make—well, every single day I count my blessings that she chose me.
首先,我要感谢我的妻子伊丽莎白,她无疑是我认识的最了不起的人。在整个过程中,她既是我的倾听者,也是我的智囊,她敢于直言不讳,还是我的创意总监(她的设计才华甚至贡献给了我那精美的封面,我为此感到无比欣喜!)。更令人印象深刻的是,她同时还是我们儿子罗曼的慈母,尽心尽力地照顾他。我坚信,人生最重要的选择就是找到人生伴侣——每一天,我都庆幸她选择了我。
My parents, who combined their high expectations with strong support, a combination that always allowed me to aspire to reach new heights, scale my impact, and dream big. Their love is the foundation of everything in my life, and I am forever grateful for it.
我的父母对我寄予厚望,同时又给予我莫大的支持,正是这种结合让我始终能够不断追求卓越,扩大影响力,并拥有远大的梦想。他们的爱是我生命中一切的基石,我永远心怀感激。
My sister, Sonali, who always set the bar high and showed me what was possible. After years of being separated by age, we find ourselves in the same stage of life, and I can’t wait to see our relationship continue to blossom (or Bloom!) in the decades ahead.
我的姐姐索娜莉总是给我树立很高的榜样,让我看到了无限的可能。虽然我们多年来因年龄差距而疏远,但如今我们却步入了人生的同一阶段,我无比期待我们的关系在未来的几十年里继续蓬勃发展(或者说绽放光彩!)。
My second family, the Gordons—Mary, Steve, Mara, and Samantha—whose support for Elizabeth, Roman, and me is unwavering.
我的第二个家,戈登一家——玛丽、史蒂夫、玛拉和萨曼莎——他们对伊丽莎白、罗曼和我始终如一的支持。
My team, who made this book possible. Blake Burge, my personal Swiss Army knife, who has never met a task he can’t take on with positivity and gusto. The type of guy you always want in your corner. Matt Schnuck, a thought partner and friend, who read and reviewed large parts of this book and helped craft the plan to enhance its impact. Christian DiMonda, who created the beautiful, simple visuals that enhance the words throughout. OffMenu Design, my design partner, who created the beautiful website and online resources for the book. Hunter Hammonds, Lucas Gabow, Holly Felicetta, Jess Barber, Sy Santos, and Shane Martin, who all contributed in their own unique ways.
我的团队,是他们成就了这本书。布莱克·伯格,我的得力助手,他就像一把瑞士军刀,总能以积极乐观的态度和饱满的热情完成任何任务。他是那种你永远都想依靠的伙伴。马特·施努克,我的思想伙伴和朋友,他阅读并审阅了本书的大部分内容,并帮助制定了提升本书影响力的计划。克里斯蒂安·迪蒙达,他创作了精美简洁的视觉元素,与文字相得益彰。OffMenu Design,我的设计合作伙伴,他们为本书打造了精美的网站和在线资源。亨特·哈蒙德斯、卢卡斯·加博、霍莉·费利切塔、杰西·巴伯、西·桑托斯和肖恩·马丁,他们都以各自独特的方式为本书做出了贡献。
My mentors, advisers, and friends, who have always pushed me to think bigger, but kept me grounded throughout.
我的导师、顾问和朋友们,他们一直鼓励我胸怀大志,但同时也让我保持脚踏实地。
My collaborators, including Susan Cain, Arthur Brooks, Ramit Sethi, Ben Bruno, and Nick Maggiulli, who were so generous with their time and insights. Their expertise enriched the quality of this book and the actionability of its guides.
我的合作者们,包括Susan Cain、Arthur Brooks、Ramit Sethi、Ben Bruno和Nick Maggiulli,慷慨地贡献了他们的时间和真知灼见。他们的专业知识提升了本书的质量,也增强了书中指南的实用性。
All the incredible people who gifted me with the privilege of telling their stories, from those who are named—Alexis Lockhart, Erik Newton, Dave Prout, Rohan Venkatesh, Hank Behar, Phyllis Behar, Dan Go, Vicki Landis, Kevin Dahlstrom, Greg Sloan, Marc Randolph, and Bryan Johnson—to those who chose to remain anonymous. The hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of conversations brought incredible joy and wisdom into my life and the pages of this book. I am thrilled to be able to share their stories.
感谢所有给予我讲述他们故事的杰出人士,从那些署名的——Alexis Lockhart、Erik Newton、Dave Prout、Rohan Venkatesh、Hank Behar、Phyllis Behar、Dan Go、Vicki Landis、Kevin Dahlstrom、Greg Sloan、Marc Randolph 和 Bryan Johnson——到那些选择匿名的人们。成百上千次的对话,为我的生活和这本书带来了无比的喜悦和智慧。我非常荣幸能够分享他们的故事。
My editor, Mary Reynics, who was the perfect partner for this undertaking. At every stage of the process, her critical thinking and pressure testing enhanced the quality of the output. When we first met during the book deal process in 2022, I sensed we would have a great partnership—and I was right. She is special.
我的编辑玛丽·雷尼克斯是这项工作的完美合作伙伴。在整个过程中,她严谨的思考和反复的测试都极大地提升了最终成果的质量。早在2022年我们洽谈图书出版合同时,我就预感到我们会是很好的合作伙伴——事实证明我的预感是对的。她非常特别。
My book agent, Pilar Queen, who believed in my concept from the beginning. The first time we met, she said, “Look, I’m going to be honest with you,” and my heart sank at what would come next. She continued, “I absolutely love it,” and my heart was restored with confidence. Her belief meant the world to me then, as it does now.
我的图书经纪人皮拉尔·奎因从一开始就相信我的想法。我们第一次见面时,她说:“听着,我要跟你说实话。”我当时心里一沉,不知道接下来会发生什么。但她接着说:“我非常喜欢这个想法。”我的信心瞬间恢复了。她的信任对我来说意义非凡,现在依然如此。
And, finally, to all of you, my readers, who give me the energy to write every single day. I consider it the greatest honor to have the opportunity to do this for a living, and I don’t take it for granted. Thank you for giving me this great opportunity. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
最后,我要感谢我的所有读者,是你们给了我每天写作的动力。能够以写作为生,我深感荣幸,也倍加珍惜。感谢你们给予我这份宝贵的机会。谢谢,谢谢,谢谢。
—Sahil Bloom, December 2024, New York
——萨希尔·布鲁姆,2024年12月,纽约
Jean de La Fontaine, “The Astrologer That Tumbled into a Well,” in Charles Denis, Select Fables (J. and R. Tonson and S. Draper, 1754).
让·德·拉封丹,《掉进井里的占星家》,载于查尔斯·丹尼斯,《精选寓言》(J. 和 R. Tonson 和 S. Draper,1754 年)。
返回笔记参考 1
Arthur C. Brooks, “How to Buy Happiness,” The Atlantic, April 15, 2021, https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/money-income-buy-happiness/618601/ .
Arthur C. Brooks,“如何购买幸福”,《大西洋月刊》,2021 年 4 月 15 日,https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/04/money-income-buy-happiness/618601/。
返回笔记参考 1
Joe Pinsker, “The Reason Many Ultrarich People Aren’t Satisfied with Their Wealth,” The Atlantic, December 4, 2018, https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/12/rich-people-happy-money/577231/ .
Joe Pinsker,“许多超级富豪对自己的财富不满意的原因”,《大西洋月刊》,2018 年 12 月 4 日,https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/12/rich-people-happy-money/577231/。
返回笔记参考 2
Kathleen Elkins, “Warren Buffett Simplifies Investing with a Baseball Analogy,” CNBC, February 2, 2017, https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/02/warren-buffett-simplifies-investing-with-a-baseball-analogy.html .
Kathleen Elkins,“沃伦·巴菲特用棒球类比简化投资”,CNBC,2017 年 2 月 2 日,https://www.cnbc.com/2017/02/02/warren-buffett-simplifies-investing-with-a-baseball-analogy.html。
返回笔记参考3
The dataset I discovered was a compilation created by Our World in Data, a website specializing in data visualization, which took the 2009–19 American Time Use Surveys and built a comprehensive view of whom we spend our time with over the course of our lives. They segmented the view across time with family, friends, partner, children, coworkers, and alone. See Esteban Ortiz-Ospina, Charlie Giattino, and Max Roser, “Time Use,” Our World in Data, February 29, 2024, https://ourworldindata.org/time-use .
我发现的数据集是由数据可视化网站 Our World in Data 创建的,该网站利用 2009 年至 2019 年的美国时间利用调查数据,构建了一个关于我们一生中与哪些人共度时间的全面视图。他们将时间利用情况细分为与家人、朋友、伴侣、子女、同事以及独处的时间。参见 Esteban Ortiz-Ospina、Charlie Giattino 和 Max Roser 的文章“时间利用”,发表于 Our World in Data,2024 年 2 月 29 日,网址:https://ourworldindata.org/time-use。
返回笔记参考 1
Tim Urban, “The Tail End,” Wait but Why (blog), December 11, 2015, https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/12/the-tail-end.html .
Tim Urban,“尾声”,Wait but Why(博客),2015 年 12 月 11 日,https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/12/the-tail-end.html。
返回笔记参考 2
Tim Ferriss, “Sam Harris (#342),” The Tim Ferriss Show (podcast), October 31, 2018, https://tim.blog/2018/10/31/the-tim-ferriss-show-transcripts-sam-harris-342/ .
蒂姆·费里斯,“萨姆·哈里斯(#342)”,蒂姆·费里斯秀(播客),2018 年 10 月 31 日,https://tim.blog/2018/10/31/the-tim-ferriss-show-transcripts-sam-harris-342/。
返回笔记参考3
Saloni Dattani et al., “Life Expectancy,” Our World in Data, https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy .
Saloni Dattani 等人,“预期寿命”,Our World in Data,https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy。
返回笔记参考 4
Sophie Leroy, “Why Is It So Hard to Do My Work? The Challenge of Attention Residue When Switching Between Work Tasks,” Organizational Behavior and the Human Decision Processes 109, no. 2 (July 2009): 168–81.
Sophie Leroy,“为什么我的工作如此困难?在工作任务之间切换时注意力残留的挑战”,《组织行为与人类决策过程》109,第 2 期(2009 年 7 月):168-81。
返回笔记参考5
Cal Newport, “A Productivity Lesson from a Classic Arcade Game,” Cal Newport (blog), September 6, 2016, https://calnewport.com/a-productivity-lesson-from-a-classic-arcade-game/ .
Cal Newport,“从经典街机游戏中学习生产力”,Cal Newport(博客),2016 年 9 月 6 日,https://calnewport.com/a-productivity-lesson-from-a-classic-arcade-game/。
返回笔记参考 6
“Three-Quarters of Parents Too Busy to Read Bedtime Stories,” Telegraph, February 27, 2009, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/4839894/Three-quarters-of-parents-too-busy-to-read-bedtime-stories.html .
“四分之三的父母太忙而无法给孩子读睡前故事”,《每日电讯报》,2009 年 2 月 27 日,https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/mother-tongue/4839894/Three-quarters-of-parents-too-busy-to-read-bedtime-stories.html。
返回笔记参考7
Rahul Vohra, “The State of Your Inbox in 2021: Email Burnout and Browsing in Bed,” Superhuman (blog), April 20, 2021, https://blog.superhuman.com/the-state-of-your-inbox-in-2021/ .
Rahul Vohra,“2021 年你的收件箱状况:电子邮件倦怠和在床上浏览”,Superhuman(博客),2021 年 4 月 20 日,https://blog.superhuman.com/the-state-of-your-inbox-in-2021/。
返回笔记参考 8
Emma Seppälä, “Three Science-Based Reasons Vacations Boost Productivity,” Psychology Today, August 17, 2017, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/feeling-it/201708/three-science-based-reasons-vacations-boost-productivity .
Emma Seppälä,“假期提高生产力的三个科学依据”,《今日心理学》,2017 年 8 月 17 日,https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/feeling-it/201708/three-science-based-reasons-vacations-boost-productivity。
返回笔记参考9
Ashley Whillans, “Time for Happiness,” Harvard Business Review, January 4, 2019, https://hbr.org/2019/01/time-for-happiness .
Ashley Whillans,“幸福的时刻”,《哈佛商业评论》,2019 年 1 月 4 日,https://hbr.org/2019/01/time-for-happiness。
返回笔记参考10
Marc Andreessen, “Pmarca Guide to Personal Productivity,” Pmarchive, June 4, 2007, https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_personal_productivity.html .
Marc Andreessen,“Pmarca 个人生产力指南”,Pmarchive,2007 年 6 月 4 日,https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_personal_productivity.html。
返回笔记参考 11
Tim Ferriss, “James Clear, Atomic Habits, ” The Tim Ferriss Show (podcast), January 6, 2023, https://tim.blog/2023/01/06/james-clear-atomic-habits-transcript/ .
蒂姆·费里斯,“詹姆斯·克利尔,《原子习惯》”,蒂姆·费里斯秀(播客),2023 年 1 月 6 日,https://tim.blog/2023/01/06/james-clear-atomic-habits-transcript/。
返回笔记参考 12
Emily Esfahani Smith, “Social Connection Makes a Better Brain,” The Atlantic, October 29, 2013, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/social-connection-makes-a-better-brain/280934/ .
Emily Esfahani Smith,“社交联系使大脑更强大”,《大西洋月刊》,2013 年 10 月 29 日,https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/social-connection-makes-a-better-brain/280934/。
返回笔记参考 1
Michael Miller, “What Makes a Good Life?,” Six Seconds (blog), April 19, 2021, https://www.6seconds.org/2021/04/19/harvard-grant-study/ .
Michael Miller,“美好生活是什么?”,《六秒钟》(博客),2021 年 4 月 19 日,https://www.6seconds.org/2021/04/19/harvard-grant-study/。
返回笔记参考 2
Vivek H. Murthy, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation,” U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory, May 2, 2023, https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf .
Vivek H. Murthy,“我们面临的孤独和隔离流行病”,美国卫生局局长咨询,2023 年 5 月 2 日,https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf。
返回笔记参考3
Viji Diane Kannan and Peter J. Veazie, “US Trends in Social Isolation, Social Engagement, and Companionship—Nationally and by Age, Sex, Race/Ethnicity, Family Income, and Work Hours, 2003–2020,” SSM Population Health 21 (March 2023): 101331, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101331 .
Viji Diane Kannan 和 Peter J. Veazie,“美国社会隔离、社会参与和陪伴的趋势——按年龄、性别、种族/民族、家庭收入和工作时间划分的全国性趋势,2003-2020 年”,SSM 人口健康 21(2023 年 3 月):101331,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101331。
返回笔记参考 4
Susanne Buecker et al., “Is Loneliness in Emerging Adults Increasing over Time? A Preregistered Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis and Systematic Review,” Psychological Bulletin 147, no. 8 (August 2021): 787–805, https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000332 .
Susanne Buecker 等人,“新兴成年人的孤独感是否随着时间的推移而增加?一项预注册的跨时间元分析和系统评价”,《心理学公报》147,第 8 期(2021 年 8 月):787–805,https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000332。
返回笔记参考5
Kannan and Veazie, “US Trends in Social Isolation.”
Kannan 和 Veazie,“美国社会隔离趋势”。
返回笔记参考 6
Daniel A. Cox, “Men’s Social Circles Are Shrinking,” Survey Center on American Life, June 29, 2021, https://www.americansurveycenter.org/why-mens-social-circles-are-shrinking/ .
Daniel A. Cox,“男性的社交圈正在缩小”,美国生活调查中心,2021 年 6 月 29 日,https://www.americansurveycenter.org/why-mens-social-circles-are-shrinking/。
返回笔记参考7
Gallup and Meta, “The Global State of Social Connections,” Gallup.com, June 27, 2024, https://www.gallup.com/analytics/509675/state-of-social-connections.aspx .
Gallup 和 Meta,“全球社交关系状况”,Gallup.com,2024 年 6 月 27 日,https://www.gallup.com/analytics/509675/state-of-social-connections.aspx。
返回笔记参考 8
Volodymyr Kupriyanov, “2021 Study: Do People Actually Regret Moving?,” Hire a Helper (blog), June 3, 2021, https://blog.hireahelper.com/2021-study-do-people-actually-regret-moving/ .
Volodymyr Kupriyanov,“2021 年研究:人们真的会后悔搬家吗?”,Hire a Helper(博客),2021 年 6 月 3 日,https://blog.hireahelper.com/2021-study-do-people-actually-regret-moving/。
返回笔记参考9
Eleanor Pringle, “The ‘Great Resignation’ Is Now the ‘Great Regret,’ ” Fortune, February 9, 2023, https://fortune.com/2023/02/09/great-resignation-now-great-regret-gen-z-wish-they-had-not-quit-old-job/ .
Eleanor Pringle,“‘大辞职’现在是‘大后悔’”,《财富》杂志,2023 年 2 月 9 日,https://fortune.com/2023/02/09/great-resignation-now-great-regret-gen-z-wish-they-had-not-quit-old-job/。
返回笔记参考10
Steve Jobs, “You’ve Got to Find What You Love,” Stanford Report, June 12, 2005, https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2005/06/youve-got-find-love-jobs-says .
史蒂夫·乔布斯,“你必须找到你所热爱的”,斯坦福报告,2005 年 6 月 12 日,https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2005/06/youve-got-find-love-jobs-says。
返回笔记参考 11
Johnaé De Felicis, “What Is a Walking Moai? (and How It Can Improve Your Health, Your Social Life, and Your Productivity),” Blue Zones, June 2023, https://www.bluezones.com/2023/06/what-is-a-walking-moai/ .
Johnaé De Felicis,“什么是行走的摩艾石像?(以及它如何改善你的健康、社交生活和生产力)”,蓝色地带,2023 年 6 月,https://www.bluezones.com/2023/06/what-is-a-walking-moai/。
返回笔记参考 12
Aaron Zitner, “America Pulls Back from Values That Once Defined It, WSJ-NORC Poll Finds,” The Wall Street Journal, March 27, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-pull-back-from-values-that-once-defined-u-s-wsj-norc-poll-finds-df8534cd .
Aaron Zitner,“《华尔街日报》-NORC民调发现,美国正在背离曾经定义它的价值观”,《华尔街日报》,2023年3月27日,https://www.wsj.com/articles/americans-pull-back-from-values-that-once-defined-u-s-wsj-norc-poll-finds-df8534cd。
返回笔记参考13
Rogé Karma, “Transcript: Ezra Klein Show with Cecilia Ridgeway,” The New York Times, September 13, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/podcasts/ezra-klein-show-cecilia-ridgeway.html .
Rogé Karma,“文字稿:Ezra Klein Show 与 Cecilia Ridgeway”,《纽约时报》,2022 年 9 月 13 日,https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/podcasts/ezra-klein-show-cecilia-ridgeway.html。
返回笔记参考14
Christopher von Rueden, “How Social Status Affects Your Health,” The New York Times, December 12, 2014, https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/14/opinion/sunday/how-social-status-affects-your-health.html .
Christopher von Rueden,“社会地位如何影响你的健康”,《纽约时报》,2014 年 12 月 12 日,https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/14/opinion/sunday/how-social-status-affects-your-health.html。
返回笔记参考15
M. G. Marmot et al., “Health Inequalities Among British Civil Servants: The Whitehall II Study,” The Lancet 337, no. 8754 (June 8, 1991): 1387–93, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1674771/ .
M. G. Marmot 等人,“英国公务员的健康不平等:Whitehall II 研究”,《柳叶刀》337,第 8754 期(1991 年 6 月 8 日):1387–93,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1674771/。
返回笔记参考16
Julianne Holt-Lunstad et al., “Social Relationships and Ambulatory Blood Pressure: Structural and Qualitative Predictors of Cardiovascular Function During Everyday Social Interactions,” Health Psychology 22, no. 4 (2003): 388–97, https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.22.4.388 .
Julianne Holt-Lunstad 等人,“社会关系与动态血压:日常社交互动中心血管功能的结构和定性预测因素”,《健康心理学》22,第 4 期(2003 年):388-97,https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.22.4.388。
返回笔记参考17
Adam Grant, “Your Most Ambivalent Relationships Are the Most Toxic,” The New York Times, May 28, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/28/opinion/frenemies-relationships-health.html .
Adam Grant,“你最矛盾的关系往往最具毒性”,《纽约时报》,2023 年 5 月 28 日,https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/28/opinion/frenemies-relationships-health.html。
返回笔记参考18
Jancee Dunn, “When Someone You Love Is Upset, Ask This One Question,” The New York Times, April 7, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/07/well/emotions-support-relationships.html .
Jancee Dunn,“当你爱的人难过时,问他/她一个问题”,《纽约时报》,2023 年 4 月 7 日,https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/07/well/emotions-support-relationships.html。
返回笔记参考19
Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace, Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration (New York: Random House, 2014).
艾德·卡特穆尔和艾米·华莱士,《创造力公司:克服阻碍真正灵感的无形力量》(纽约:兰登书屋,2014 年)。
返回笔记参考 20
Michiko Sakaki, Ayano Yagi, and Kou Murayama, “Curiosity in Old Age: A Possible Key to Achieving Adaptive Aging,” Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 88 (May 2018): 106–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.03.007 .
Michiko Sakaki、Ayano Yagi 和 Kou Murayama,“老年好奇心:实现适应性衰老的可能关键”,神经科学和生物行为评论 88(2018 年 5 月):106–16,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.03.007。
返回笔记参考 1
Todd B. Kashdan, Paul Rose, and Frank D. Fincham, “Curiosity and Exploration: Facilitating Positive Subjective Experiences and Personal Growth Opportunities,” Journal of Personality Assessment 82, no. 3 (June 2004): 291–305, https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa8203_05 .
Todd B. Kashdan、Paul Rose 和 Frank D. Fincham,“好奇心和探索:促进积极的主观体验和个人成长机会”,《人格评估杂志》82,第 3 期(2004 年 6 月):291–305,https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa8203_05。
返回笔记参考 2
Li Chu, Jeanne L. Tsai, and Helene H. Fung, “Association between Age and Intellectual Curiosity: The Mediating Roles of Future Time Perspective and Importance of Curiosity,” European Journal of Ageing 18, no. 1 (April 27, 2020): 45–53, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00567-6 .
李楚、Jeanne L. Tsai 和 Helene H. Fung,“年龄与求知欲之间的关联:未来时间视角和求知欲重要性的中介作用”,《欧洲老龄化杂志》18,第 1 期(2020 年 4 月 27 日):45–53,https://doi.org/10.1007/s10433-020-00567-6。
返回笔记参考3
Matthias Ziegler et al., “Openness as a Buffer against Cognitive Decline: The Openness-Fluid-Crystallized-Intelligence (OFCI) Model Applied to Late Adulthood,” Psychology and Aging 30, no. 3 (January 1, 2015): 573–88, https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039493 .
Matthias Ziegler 等人,“开放性作为对抗认知衰退的缓冲:开放性-流体智力-晶体智力 (OFCI) 模型在老年期的应用”,《心理学与衰老》30,第 3 期(2015 年 1 月 1 日):573–88,https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039493。
返回笔记参考 4
“The Right Outlook: How Finding Your Purpose Can Improve Your Life,” Blue Zones, August 2011, https://www.bluezones.com/2011/08/the-right-outlook-how-finding-your-purpose-can-improve-your-life/ .
“正确的视角:如何找到人生目标来改善你的生活”,蓝色地带,2011 年 8 月,https://www.bluezones.com/2011/08/the-right-outlook-how-finding-your-purpose-can-improve-your-life/。
返回笔记参考5
Aliya Alimujiang et al., “Association between Life Purpose and Mortality among US Adults Older Than 50 Years,” JAMA Network Open 2, no. 5 (May 24, 2019): e194270, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4270 .
Aliya Alimujiang 等人,“50 岁以上美国成年人的生活目标与死亡率之间的关联”,JAMA Network Open 2,第 5 期(2019 年 5 月 24 日):e194270,https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4270。
返回笔记参考 6
Claire Bates, “Is This the World’s Happiest Man? Brain Scans Reveal French Monk Found to Have ‘Abnormally Large Capacity’ for Joy—Thanks to Meditation,” Daily Mail, October 31, 2012, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2225634/Is-worlds-happiest-man-Brain-scans-reveal-French-monk-abnormally-large-capacity-joy-meditation.html .
克莱尔·贝茨,《这是世界上最幸福的人吗?脑部扫描显示,这位法国僧侣因冥想而拥有“异常大的快乐容量”》,《每日邮报》,2012 年 10 月 31 日,https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2225634/Is-worlds-happiest-man-Brain-scans-reveal-French-monk-abnormally-large-capacity-joy-meditation.html。
返回笔记参考7
May Wong, “Stanford Study Finds Walking Improves Creativity,” Stanford Report, April 24, 2014, https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/walking-vs-sitting-042414/ .
May Wong,“斯坦福大学研究发现步行可以提高创造力”,斯坦福报告,2014 年 4 月 24 日,https://news.stanford.edu/2014/04/24/walking-vs-sitting-042414/。
返回笔记参考 8
Charles H. Hillman et al., “The Effect of Acute Treadmill Walking on Cognitive Control and Academic Achievement in Preadolescent Children,” Neuroscience 159, no. 3 (March 31, 2009): 1044–54, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.01.057 .
Charles H. Hillman 等人,“急性跑步机行走对青春期前儿童认知控制和学业成就的影响”,神经科学 159,第 3 期(2009 年 3 月 31 日):1044–54,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.01.057。
返回笔记参考9
Miao Cheng et al., “Paired Walkers with Better First Impression Synchronize Better,” PLoS ONE 15, no. 2 (February 21, 2020): e0227880, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227880 .
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返回笔记参考10
Andrea Mendez Colmenares et al., “White Matter Plasticity in Healthy Older Adults: The Effects of Aerobic Exercise,” NeuroImage 239 (October 1, 2021): 118305, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118305 .
Andrea Mendez Colmenares 等人,“健康老年人的白质可塑性:有氧运动的影响”,NeuroImage 239(2021 年 10 月 1 日):118305,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118305。
返回笔记参考 11
Jane McGonigal, “Mental Time Travel Is a Great Decision-Making Tool—This Is How to Use It,” Ideas.ted.com, March 10, 2022, https://ideas.ted.com/mental-time-travel-is-a-great-decision-making-tool-this-is-how-to-use-it/ .
Jane McGonigal,“心理时间旅行是一个很棒的决策工具——这就是如何使用它”,Ideas.ted.com,2022 年 3 月 10 日,https://ideas.ted.com/mental-time-travel-is-a-great-decision-making-tool-this-is-how-to-use-it/。
返回笔记参考 1
Walter Isaacson, “The Inspiration Behind Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man,” Medium.com, October 30, 2017, https://medium.com/s/leonardo-da-vinci/the-inspiration-behind-leonardo-da-vincis-vitruvian-man-974c525495ec .
Walter Isaacson,“达芬奇维特鲁威人背后的灵感”,Medium.com,2017 年 10 月 30 日,https://medium.com/s/leonardo-da-vinci/the-inspiration-behind-leonardo-da-vinci-vitruvian-man-974c525495ec。
返回笔记参考 2
Timothy B. Gage and Sharon DeWitte, “What Do We Know About the Agricultural Demographic Transition?,” Current Anthropology 50, no. 5 (October 1, 2009): 649–55, https://doi.org/10.1086/605017 .
Timothy B. Gage 和 Sharon DeWitte,“我们对农业人口转型了解多少?”,《当代人类学》50,第 5 期(2009 年 10 月 1 日):649–55,https://doi.org/10.1086/605017。
返回笔记参考3
“The Olympic Games,” History.com, June 12, 2024, https://www.history.com/topics/sports/olympic-games .
“奥林匹克运动会”,History.com,2024 年 6 月 12 日,https://www.history.com/topics/sports/olympic-games。
返回笔记参考 4
Maria Popova, “The Science of Working Out the Body and the Soul: How the Art of Exercise Was Born, Lost, and Rediscovered,” Marginalian , May 10, 2022, https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/05/10/sweat-bill-hayes/ .
Maria Popova,“锻炼身心的科学:运动的艺术是如何诞生、失落和重新发现的”,《边缘人》,2022 年 5 月 10 日,https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/05/10/sweat-bill-hayes/。
返回笔记参考5
“The Olympic Games.”
“奥林匹克运动会。”
返回笔记参考 6
Global Wellness Institute, “What Is the Wellness Economy?,” accessed July 2024, https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/what-is-the-wellness-economy/ .
全球健康研究所,“什么是健康经济?”,访问于 2024 年 7 月,https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/what-is-wellness/what-is-the-wellness-economy/。
返回笔记参考7
C. D. Reimers, G. Knapp, and A. K. Reimers, “Does Physical Activity Increase Life Expectancy? A Review of the Literature,” Journal of Aging Research 2012 (July 1, 2012): 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/243958 .
C. D. Reimers、G. Knapp 和 A. K. Reimers,“体育活动能延长预期寿命吗?文献综述”,《老年研究杂志》2012 年(2012 年 7 月 1 日):1-9,https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/243958。
返回笔记参考 8
“Exercising More Than Recommended Could Lengthen Life, Study Suggests,” Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, July 29, 2022, https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/exercising-more-than-recommended-could-lengthen-life-study-suggests/ .
“研究表明,运动量超过推荐量可以延长寿命”,哈佛大学陈曾熙公共卫生学院,2022 年 7 月 29 日,https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/hsph-in-the-news/exercising-more-than-recommended-could-lengthen-life-study-suggests/。
返回笔记参考9
Andrew Huberman, “Stretching Protocols to Increase Flexibility and Support General Health,” Huberman Lab (podcast), July 27, 2022, https://hubermanlab.com/stretching-protocols-to-increase-flexibility-and-support-general-health/ .
Andrew Huberman,“拉伸方案以提高灵活性和促进整体健康”,Huberman Lab(播客),2022 年 7 月 27 日,https://hubermanlab.com/stretching-protocols-to-increase-flexibility-and-support-general-health/。
返回笔记参考10
“Sleep Facts and Stats,” CDC Sleep, May 15, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html .
“睡眠事实和统计数据”,美国疾病控制与预防中心睡眠,2024 年 5 月 15 日,https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data-research/facts-stats/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/data_statistics.html。
返回笔记参考 11
“Are You Sleeping Enough? This Infographic Shows How You Compare to the Rest of the World,” World Economic Forum, August 16, 2019, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/we-need-more-sleep .
“你睡眠充足吗?这张信息图显示了你与世界其他地区的比较情况”,世界经济论坛,2019 年 8 月 16 日,https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/08/we-need-more-sleep。
返回笔记参考 12
Tim Ferriss, “Dr. Andrew Huberman—the Foundations of Physical and Mental Performance, Core Supplements, Sexual Health and Fertility, Sleep Optimization, Psychedelics, and More (#660),” The Tim Ferriss Show (podcast), March 10, 2023, https://tim.blog/2023/03/10/dr-andrew-huberman-transcript/ .
蒂姆·费里斯,“安德鲁·胡伯曼博士——身体和心理表现的基础、核心补充剂、性健康和生育能力、睡眠优化、迷幻药等等(#660)”,蒂姆·费里斯秀(播客),2023 年 3 月 10 日,https://tim.blog/2023/03/10/dr-andrew-huberman-transcript/。
返回笔记参考13
Kyle Mandsager et al., “Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness with Long-term Mortality among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing,” JAMA Network Open 1, no. 6 (October 19, 2018): e183605, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605 .
Kyle Mandsager 等人,“心肺健康与接受跑步机运动测试的成年人长期死亡率的关联”,JAMA Network Open 1,第 6 期(2018 年 10 月 19 日):e183605,https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605。
返回笔记参考14
Andrew Weil, M.D., "The 4-7-8 Breath: Health Benefits & Demonstration," DrWeil.com , https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/the-4-7-8-breath-health-benefits-demonstration/ .
Andrew Weil 医学博士,“4-7-8 呼吸法:健康益处和演示”,DrWeil.com,https://www.drweil.com/videos-features/videos/the-4-7-8-breath-health-benefits-demonstration/。
返回笔记参考15
Mark Twain, “Observations by Mark Twain,” 1869, https://cdnsm5-ss12.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_520401/File/Departments/Curriculum%20&%20Instruction/ELA/Non-Fiction%20Texts/Observations%20by%20Mark%20Twain.pdf .
马克·吐温,《马克·吐温的观察》,1869 年,https://cdnsm5-ss12.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_520401/File/Departments/Curriculum%20&%20Instruction/ELA/Non-Fiction%20Texts/Observations%20by%20Mark%20Twain.pdf。
返回笔记参考 1
Larry Getlen, “Meet the World’s Richest Man Who Changed Christianity,” New York Post, July 26, 2015, https://nypost.com/2015/07/26/meet-historys-richest-man-who-changed-christianity/ .
Larry Getlen,“认识改变基督教的世界首富”,《纽约邮报》,2015 年 7 月 26 日,https://nypost.com/2015/07/26/meet-historys-richest-man-who-changed-christianity/。
返回笔记参考 2
Greg Steinmetz, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2015).
格雷格·斯坦梅茨,《有史以来最富有的人:雅各布·富格尔的生平与时代》(纽约:西蒙与舒斯特出版社,2015 年)。
返回笔记参考3
Steinmetz, The Richest Man Who Ever Lived.
斯坦梅茨,史上最富有的人。
返回笔记参考 4
Ilana E. Strauss, “The Myth of the Barter Economy,” The Atlantic, February 26, 2016, https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/barter-society-myth/471051/ .
伊拉娜·E·施特劳斯,《物物交换经济的神话》,《大西洋月刊》,2016 年 2 月 26 日,https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/barter-society-myth/471051/。
返回笔记参考5
“The History of Money,” NOVA, PBS, October 25, 1996, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/history-money/ .
“货币的历史”,NOVA,PBS,1996 年 10 月 25 日,https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/history-money/。
返回笔记参考 6
John Lanchester, “The Invention of Money,” The New Yorker, July 29, 2019, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/05/the-invention-of-money .
John Lanchester,“货币的发明”,《纽约客》,2019 年 7 月 29 日,https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/05/the-invention-of-money。
返回笔记参考7
Lanchester, “The Invention of Money.”
兰彻斯特,《货币的发明》。
返回笔记参考 8
Tim Ferriss, “Morgan Housel— The Psychology of Money, Picking the Right Game, and the $6 Million Janitor (#576),” The Tim Ferriss Show (podcast), March 5, 2022, https://tim.blog/2022/03/05/morgan-housel-the-psychology-of-money-transcript .
蒂姆·费里斯,“摩根·豪塞尔——金钱心理学、选择正确的游戏以及 600 万美元的清洁工(#576)”,蒂姆·费里斯秀(播客),2022 年 3 月 5 日,https://tim.blog/2022/03/05/morgan-housel-the-psychology-of-money-transcript。
返回笔记参考9
Nick Maggiulli, “S&P 500 DCA Calculator,” Of Dollars and Data (blog), 2024, https://ofdollarsanddata.com/sp500-dca-calculator/ .
Nick Maggiulli,“S&P 500 DCA 计算器”,美元和数据(博客),2024 年,https://ofdollarsanddata.com/sp500-dca-calculator/。
返回笔记参考10
Nick Maggiulli, “The Return on Hassle Spectrum,” Of Dollars and Data (blog), July 25, 2023, https://ofdollarsanddata.com/return-on-hassle/ .
Nick Maggiulli,“麻烦程度的回报”,《美元与数据》(博客),2023 年 7 月 25 日,https://ofdollarsanddata.com/return-on-hassle/。
返回笔记参考 11
Sahil Bloom is an inspirational writer and content creator, captivating millions of people every week through his insights and biweekly newsletter, “The Curiosity Chronicle.” He is a successful entrepreneur, the owner of SRB Holdings, and the managing partner of SRB Ventures, an early-stage investment fund. Bloom graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and sociology and a master’s degree in public policy. He was a member of the Stanford baseball team for four years.
萨希尔·布鲁姆是一位极具启发性的作家和内容创作者,他凭借其独到的见解和双周刊电子报《好奇心纪事》每周吸引着数百万读者。他是一位成功的企业家,是SRB控股公司的所有者,也是早期投资基金SRB Ventures的管理合伙人。布鲁姆毕业于斯坦福大学,拥有经济学和社会学学士学位以及公共政策硕士学位。他曾是斯坦福大学棒球队的成员,效力四年。
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